Are the Boston Celtics Favorites in the East Again?

The Boston Celtics are proving they cannot be counted out in the East

Trying to pick a true favorite in the East this early on in the season is impossible. That being said, we are getting to the point where we can confidently say that Gordon Hayward‘s injury has not destroyed the Boston Celtics‘ chances, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are going through a tougher transition to start than they are.

The Orlando Magic currently have the best recrod in the East, but that might be the least sustainable thing in the entire NBA this season. Both the Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards deserve respect, and Giannis Antetokounmpo could have the Milwaukee Bucks close to contention.

That being said, with the way the Celtics have battled through their struggles and the injuries to capture four straight wins has them back on track to get that number one seed in the East.

The Celtics are figuring out how they can win games despite struggling in a lot of ways to start the season, and everything should gradually get better as the season goes on.

More from Hardwood Houdini

It is possible that Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will not maintain their play, and there will be regression there. Maybe some of the defensive performances have been fluky, but nothing they have been doing looks impossible to sustain.

From here, the Celtics might also have the most room to improve out of these top teams in the East. If they can compete for that top seed in their current state, they will become a clear favorite if they start putting things together on the offensive end, and finally get healthy.

The Celtics are still unsure when they will be getting Marcus Morris back, so that will be a clear boost. They also know that their offense is not functioning nearly as well as it should. Their volume and quality of passing is way down this season, and that is where the great improvement can come from.

Right now, the Celtics are establishing that they can be one of if not the best defense in the Eastern Conference. That combined with the individual offensive talents they have is enough for them to keep pace with any of these top teams in the East.

If the defense holds up, and the offense comes together, and starts functioning more as a unit, then they are absolutely the favorites to get that top seed.

Come playoff time, it will be a different story with the Cavaliers. They should be getting Isaiah Thomas back, and they will have fought through their own transition. Those obstacles will make it quite difficult for the Cavaliers to get that top seed, but we know how little that means for LeBron James in the playoffs.

Right now, it is absolutely fair to say the Celtics are favorites to get the top seed in the East. No team has excelled in a way that suggests they can run away with it. The Celtics are proving they will be winning games when they struggle, and they can beat anyone when at their best.

When you take into account Brad Stevens’ track record of improving his teams throughout the regular season, and you cannot give any other team a clear advantage for that top seed.

The Celtics are streaking right now, and are doing it despite playing far from their best basketball. We are now seeing the benefits of what happens when a Brad Stevens team has top individual talent.

Stevens now has players that can bail him out more often as he tries to figure things out. Irving taking over to beat the Heat is the best example. The defense held them in the game then it did not matter what kind of offense Stevens was running because Irving took matters into his own hands.

Next: Kyrie Irving's Defense More Important than Offense

The Celtics may take longer than usual to be at their best, and that may ultimately not be enough to take down the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals with Hayward sidelined. That being said, the early indications this season are that the Celtics do not need to be at their best to capture that number one seed.

Home/Celtics News