Should LeBron James Be Scared of the Boston Celtics?

After reaching four finals in a row and winning back to back championships there is absolutely nothing that LeBron James is actually scared of in the NBA. The problem for him is that even if he is not scared, the Boston Celtics may cause the Cleveland Cavaliers a lot of trouble in the first round.

A big problem in assessing the Celtics is that if you look at their record at 40-42 it looks like they don’t belong in the playoffs and only snuck in because of an extremely weak eastern conference.

The Celtics have had an unbelievable 40 different players on the team this season. For so long the Celtics had absolutely no stability. Everyone knew that they were shopping Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green with intentions of tanking.

Once the trade dealing came along, and Danny Ainge managed to acquire Isaiah Thomas and with the likes of Jonas Jerebko, Jae Crowder and Luigi Datome all stepping up the Celtics have finally established not only great stability, but also a team that always plays together and is the least selfish in the league.

The results speak for themselves as Brad Stevens earned himself a coach of the month award after storming into the playoffs with a 7-1 record over their final 8 games and 24-12 over their last 36. The Celtics are not just on the hottest streak of their season but they are the hottest team in the east.

Mar 16, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens on the side line during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. The Boston Celtics won 108-89. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics did get the benefit of playing two games against the Cavaliers where they rested players but that takes nothing away from the great basketball they have been playing.

All you have to do is look at the game against the Milwaukee Bucks to see how incredible their ball movement is. The Celtics had 42 made baskets and a lowly 5 of them were not assisted on. 37 assists is a feat that very few teams are able to achieve and the Celtics do it because they have so many different players that contribute.

Night in and night out the Celtics have different players step up and with Jared Sullinger back into his form the Celtics have the ability to attack you in the paint and from the three point line. Throw in some of the best mid range jump shooting in Brandon Bass, Tyler Zeller shooting over 50% and Avery Bradley shooting over 42% on the season, and the Celtics have developed one of the more dynamic offenses in the NBA.

Apr 8, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass (30) shoots the ball over Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe (10) during the first quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, it will still be incredibly difficult for the Celtics to match up on the court against the star studded Cavaliers but the Celtics have a special edge and this is in coach of the year candidate Stevens. Stevens has not just done an incredible job getting the players to execute on the court, but their attitude and approach to the game is what has driven the Celtics during this streak.

The Celtics have the highest level of competitiveness and if James takes it even a bit easy because it is the first round the Celtics will pounce on them.The Celtics come in as a polar opposite of James as the entire Celtics starting lineup has 19 fewer playoff appearances than just James. The Celtics may not know what to expect but they know that they are playing with nothing to lose and motivation will never be an issue for them at any point in the game.

The Cavaliers will also have to contend with another factor and that is the best home court advantage in the NBA. The Cavaliers technically do not have to win in Boston but if they drop just one game at home things could get problematic. The Celtics fans have embraced this group of players and coaches more than any team since the championship in 2008.

TD Garden is one of the places that can get into a player’s head and with both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love playing the first playoff games of their careers and all the pressure of championship expectations, they could get caught off guard by a Celtics team that is ready to take advantage of any opportunities.

Mar 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) hugs forward Kevin Love (0) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. The Cavs beat the Mavs 127-94. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics are far from favourites but in an eastern conference that may be the easiest James has faced in the past 5 years the Celtics present a unique challenge that the Cavaliers might not have to deal with against anyone else in the east.

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