Charles Barkley Submits Bold Prediction For 2023-24 Celtics

The Boston Celtics have the highest expectations ever since the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown tandem was first birthed — and for good reason.

Flirting as favorites in the Eastern Conference for the last half-decade-plus, the Celtics haven’t fully lived up to the hype. Yet, ahead of every season in recent years, Boston still remains among the premature top dogs picked to win the NBA Finals, before the season even tips off.

That’s exactly where Hall of Famer and top-tier NBA troll Charles Barkley has Boston finishing this season.

“The one thing the Celtics were missing was a point guard, and they got probably the best point guard available,” Barkley said before Boston’s Opening Night matchup with the Knicks, per Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. “I said, ‘Wow, man, the Milwaukee Bucks are gonna be the favorite.’ And then the next week, the Celtics got Jrue Holiday, I said, ‘Oh, let me change that.’ So if you ask me right now, I’d probably pick the Celtics to win this thing. I like the (Kristaps) Porzingis trade.”

Even before the Celtics transitioned from being in the middle of a historic comeback in the Eastern Conference finals to offseason mode, Boston would’ve been booked as a top-3 favorite for sure. However, this past offseason adds an even more amplifying element.

Boston vastly improved its coaching staff and roster, surrounding head coach Joe Mazzulla with experienced voices, plus added two veteran All-Stars in Porzingis and Holiday. That alone addressed a handful of needs that proved to backfire on the Celtics in the most crucial of times from the final stretch of the regular season into the playoffs.

That constant high bar will follow the Celtics throughout their highly-anticipated season, leaving them to back up the hype or crumble (again).