In a seven-game series, would you not take the Boston Celtics? Exactly.
Dear Eastern Conference (NBA),
I’m writing this letter as a fan of no team, with no overzealous loyalty. Merely as an observer.
The Boston Celtics are here to break up any preconceived notions that they had zero chance of winning a championship this year. That is yesterday’s lie. Today, the reality is otherwise.
Jason Tatum’s return is, of course, what many people would point to. But that is not the reason the Celtics could go on another playoff run. The reason is simple. Jaylen Brown? Nope, that is not the reason either. Even though Jaylen Brown for MVP is a viable stance. Why he is often overlooked for that award is merely an offense to the league as a whole, not a reflection of his lack of ability. But I digress.
The reason is that the Eastern Conference remains a conference full of questions more than anything else. The Celtics are the only sure thing. The truth is painful to hear. I know it.
But is there any other team in the Eastern Conference that feels like they deserve a complete vote of confidence? Let’s consider….
Cade Cunningham (photo courtesy Detroit Bad Boys)
The Detroit Pistons have been at the top of the East all season. After a resurging season last year, the Pistons have been unmistakably one of the best teams in the league this season. Cade Cunningham has made his case for one of the top five players in the league. They play defense. They have systematic offenses. They are, of course, what appears to be a sure thing.
But there is one glaring issue. They are unproven. While their inexperience isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s not a good thing either. Nothing changes in the playoffs more than the intensity of it. While the Pistons do not lack intensity, they lack the longevity to sustain it. That makes the Pistons still an unsure thing.
Sorry, Pistons fans. (I mean that one)
Cleveland? Definitely not a sure thing.
James Harden (photo courtesy Bozeman Daily Chronicle)
Trading for James Harden was a bold move. But often, bold moves are not intelligent moves. It reeked of desperation. The Cavaliers always seem like a team that just doesn’t have what it really takes to win a championship. Something never feels right. For the past few years, they have won plenty of regular-season games but have been outplayed by the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers in their past playoff runs. James Harden has never proven to be a postseason assurance, so why would that be a comforting thought for anyone? Can a team with James Harden really be a sure thing? Absolutely not.
Mike Brown (photo courtesy SI)
Now…. I see you, New York Knicks fans. I also hear you. Why can’t the Knicks be a sure thing, you ask? Mainly because the window is so tight, it barely leaves room for anything but perfection. Hiring Mike Brown left the Knicks in a championship-or-bust mode, which is a precarious place to be in. Yes, I, like most Knicks fans, believe Jalen Brunson is everything you want in a star player and rarely disappoints. And yes, the team is one of the most well-rounded in the league.
But…. Karl Anthony Towns is wildly inconsistent. For a player of his ability, he often has games where he scores single-digit points. Or he commits a series of fouls that seem awfully ill-advised. Your second-best player cannot be that inconsistent. And with a window as tight as the Knicks’, there is no real room for that. A lot of what makes the Knicks not a sure thing is the pressure of what this season holds.
And honestly, there aren’t any other teams in the Eastern Conference that could even be in the conversation.
So…where does that leave us? With the Boston Celtics.
I’m sure that makes everyone, but Boston fans, upset. But once again, the reality is a hard truth.
The idea that the Celtics had just gone away was a wild misconception. If not, there is more of a reason why Jaylen Brown should really be the MVP of the league. Missing Jason Tatum was a difficult thing to overcome, but they did. And now, here they are. One month left, and the Celtics are second in the Eastern Conference.
In a seven-game series, would you not take the Boston Celtics? Exactly.
The Eastern Conference had all year to vanquish the Celtics to darkness and did no such thing. I mean, nobody thought the Celtics would be anywhere close to the Washington Wizards, did they? Or even close to what the Indiana Pacers have become minus their star player? Both are even more apparent of what the NBA needs to get away from. Tanking is bad for the league!
The Boston Celtics were not a team to be taken lightly or dismissed. So … to the rest of the NBA, the Boston Celtics are here.
Not that they really left anyway.
Kristina
