Celtics Make Another Jump In Latest NBA Power Rankings

The Boston Celtics responded to a pair of tough losses at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons by rattling off victories over the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors in consecutive nights. With each passing win, the Celtics continue to solidify themselves as one of the top teams in the NBA.

Expectations weren’t exactly high for the C’s entering the year, as they shed quite a bit of talent over the offseason. Beyond that, Jayson Tatum is expected to miss the majority of the season as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the playoffs last year.

And yet, with Jaylen Brown leading the way, Boston has cruised to a 17-11 record, which is good for third place in the Eastern Conference currently. In Brett Siegel’s latest NBA power rankings for ClutchPoints, he moved the Celtics up to the No. 7 spot on his list, thanks to their latest pair of big wins.

“Back-to-back double-digit wins after two straight losses have to make the Boston Celtics feel good heading into a week where they will play the Indiana Pacers twice, followed by the struggling Portland Trail Blazers,” Siegel wrote.

“Since starting the season 5-7, Boston has won 12 of their last 16 games and is right behind the Thunder for the best record in the NBA during this stretch. As the Celtics continue to play well and sit near the top of the East standings, the noise surrounding Jayson Tatum’s potential end-of-season return keeps getting louder.”

There are still questions about what Boston will be able to accomplish this season. The possibility of Tatum returning looms over this squad, but even if he doesn’t return, the C’s have continued to prove they can go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the league on any given night.

All the Celtics can do for the time being is continue to look to win every time they take the court. That will be their goal on Monday night, as they will meet up against the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m. ET for the first time this season.