It seems the expectations are high again for the Boston Celtics as they join 21 other teams in the ‘Orlando bubble’ to resume the season.
After similarly lofty expectations crashed and burned in the 2019-20 NBA season, it might be better to be wary of any sort of coronation of the Celtics being truly elite.
But, that hasn’t stopped at least some of the Celtics opponents from looking at the team as one of the primary obstacles in the East for any team hoping to make the Finals.
Speaking to Heavy’s Sean Deveney about the new hierarchy of the NBA’s Eastern Conference coming out of the league-mandated suspension of games, an anonymous East executive had some high praise for Boston.
“When they’re healthy, it’s the most talented staring five in the league, top-to-bottom,” they related. “They have not had a chance to get themselves on the floor together, though. They had some really good stretches but if they’re all there and together, they’re versatile on both ends of the floor and they can play matchups probably better than anyone in the East.”
If true, this bodes well for the Celtics coming out of a long break. While injuries may have been unable to have treated while in lockdown, the rest most certainly helped.
And with several more weeks before training begins in earnest, there will be time for treatments as well.
Add in that no team will have a home court advantage, and the picture for a deep playoff run for the Celtics is beginning to look plausible with the right matchups early on.
While the Milwaukee Bucks are the behemoth to beat, and the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers tough outs as well, a healthy Celtics starting five might just be able to get past any of these teams in a postseason series with some luck.
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