The Boston Celtics have won five games in a row, and they’ve gotten the attention of everybody in the NBA. The Celtics are now 15-9 on the year and own the third-best record in the entire Eastern Conference. It was supposed to be a “gap year” for Boston without Jayson Tatum, but it appears that Jaylen Brown and Co. had other plans entirely.
Boston’s recent surge has their stock soaring in the eyes of NBA writers, for whatever that’s worth. In ESPN’s newest power rankings that were unveiled on Wednesday, the Celtics were the No. 7 ranked team in the league, moving up an astounding eight spots from their No. 15 ranking on the last list.
The new rankings also highlighted each team’s biggest weakness, with the Celtics’ struggle to get to the free throw line being identified as their most glaring flaw.
“This Boston roster has always featured a heavy dose of 3-pointers combined with one of the lower free throw rates in the league,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps wrote.
“But that disparity has only grown after offseason departures and the injury to Jayson Tatum, who attempted the third most free throws in the league last season. The Celtics, last in the NBA in free throw attempts per game this season, could struggle to maintain their No. 2 offensive rating if that trend lasts through an entire 82-game season.”
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Rounding out the top spots in the latest ESPN rankings were the Los Angeles Lakers (6), New York Knicks (5), Houston Rockets (4), Detroit Pistons (3), Denver Nuggets (2), and Oklahoma City Thunder (1).
The Celtics’ next game is on Thursday in Milwaukee against the Giannis-less Bucks.
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Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
