The Boston Celtics are currently riding a 12-game win streak since October 18th.
Now, I’m not saying it’s not impossible for the C’s to go the distance and win 80 straight, but I think we can both agree it’s about as likely as the Cleveland Browns winning the Super Bowl.
With this, we must brace ourselves to eventually get off this winning-high. But who in the foreseeable future could stop the streak? Well, lucky for you that’s what I’m here to break down.
Here are the upcoming teams most likely to stop the Celtics’ winning streak.
Brooklyn Nets
No, I’m not crazy, but if I’m being honest I originally included the Nets just so I didn’t jinx the team for tonight’s game. Then a got a feeling this may be possible. I get this should be a sure-thing, but this just feels like a trap game to me.
The Nets are at a higher level than what was previously thought of them. They are 5-8 and have solid wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Portland Trailblazers.
The rebirth of DeMarre Carroll and growth of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been the driving force behind the Nets surprising start.
Additionally, the Celtics have almost fallen in a trap game earlier this year. Against the last place Atlanta Hawks, the C’s narrowly won 110-107. In this game, Kyrie Irving was the driving force of the team scoring 35 points. If he is unable to play against the Nets with a minor facial fracture, the Celtic may be in trouble.
I still expect the C’s to defeat the D’Angelo Russell-less Nets in this game, but remember, anything can happen.
Golden State Warriors
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I mean, obviously right? The Warriors are tied for the second record in the NBA behind the C’s.
So far this season Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are all averaging over 20 points while Draymond Green is averaging a near triple-double. For yet another year, the Warriors are dominant and in championship-form. Their bench is insanely deep and their starting lineup can almost pass as an All Star team.
The Celtics yet to win a game against a strong team thus far. The Bucks and Thunder are off to a slow start and the Kawhi-less Spurs are not complete. The only somewhat impressive win came against the Toronto Raptors where they narrowly slipped by with a 1-point victory.
This will be the most difficult test for the Celtics as they will need to keep 4 All Stars in check. For the Celtics to win this game, they will need a strong defensive effort.
Miami Heat
The Celtics have actually played the Heat once before this season which saw the C’s win by 6 points.
I bet you’re wondering what the difference is this time around. The answer — Hassan Whiteside.
In their first matchup, Whiteside did not play. Replaced by Whiteside was former-Celtic center, Kelly Olynyk. During this game, Olynyk was impressive carving up the C’s front court to the tune of 14 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.
If the Heat were to have Whiteside, one must assume he would fare even better than Olynyk. The All-Defensive center is currently averaging 15.9 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.
Even without Whiteside the Heat out rebounded the C’s who average the 2nd most rebounds of any team in the league. With his addition, the rebound margin would most likely widen.
When the two teams square up, expect the C’s to struggle with the center.
However, with the way Al Horford is defending the C’s should have the upper hand.
Detroit Pistons
If I told you that the Celtics and Pistons would be the 2 top teams in the East before the season started, you would have called me crazy. Well, here we are.
The Piston currently sit 2nd in the Eastern Conference and are very similar to the C’s.
Like the Celtics, the Pistons win games with their defense. The two teams rank within the top-10 in team defensive rating, points off turnovers, 2nd chance points and fast break points.
The Pistons also have 1 of 2 players who are NOT Celtics, ranked within the top-10 for defensive rating (sorry, I had to gloat about it).
Similar to the C’s, they are very team-orientated on offense with several players averaging double-digits or near double-digits.
Detroit even has former-Celtic Avery Bradley, who basically embodied the Boston for the past 6 years.
Next: Kyrie Irving Expected to Play Against Nets
With the Pistons also riding a win-streak, this shape up to be a very interesting matchup when the two teams meet.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all-in for an 80-game win-streak, but considering the best streak of all time is 33 games, I think we should start looking at some of the tough upcoming match-ups.