Kendrick Perkins Changes Tune On Celtics With Definitive Statement

Kendrick Perkins has been skeptical of the Celtics this season.

After all, Boston came up short again last season, losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals one year after falling to the Golden State Warriors on basketball’s biggest stage.

But Perkins, who won a title with Boston in 2008, changed his tune in recent days, with the Celtics’ back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers convincing the former NBA center that something is different about Joe Mazzulla’s 2023-24 squad.

“The Celtics proved to me and the rest of the world that they’re the best team in the NBA,” Perkins said Tuesday on the “Pat McAfee Show.” “And I’m not just basing this off what they did (on Monday) to the Lakers. I’m talking about the clean sweep that they had in LA. They beat the brakes off the Clippers and then to come in and do what they did (against the Lakers).

“Look, I look at that starting five with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and (Kristaps) Porzingis — that is so electrifying. And I know all the people, the naysayers, are saying they shoot too many 3s. I was one of them. But I’m a believer in their 3-point shooting. And I’m a believer in their perimeter defense. This team should be favored to win it all.”

The Celtics began their four-game West Coast trip last week with an overtime loss to the Warriors. But to their credit, the C’s bounced back, toppling the Sacramento Kings before resounding victories over the Clippers and Lakers.

Anthony Davis scored 40 points for the Lakers on Monday. But that performance — combined with LeBron James’ 16-point, nine-rebound, nine-assist box score — proved no match for the Celtics’ well-rounded effort on Christmas Day. Six players scored in double figures for Boston, with Kristaps Porzingis leading the way with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Jayson Tatum added 25 points. Derrick White finished with 11 assists.

“I’m looking at this lineup when they start, quote-unquote, small, with Porzingis at the five, they’re really not small, because they’ve got great rebounding guards,” Perkins said Monday on ESPN after Boston’s 126-115 win at Crypto.com Arena. “Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are going to hit the glass. Jrue Holiday had seven boards (Monday), right? And then when I think about what they do, they’re going to push the pace, they’re going to attack downhill and they’re going to look for those 3s, and they’re going to keep shooting them, and they’ve got guys that can actually knock them down.”

Right now, it’s hard to argue against Perkins’ about-face. The Celtics entered Wednesday with the NBA’s best record (23-6) and sure look like the best team in The Association with the new year approaching.