Here’s what SI thinks of Boston Celtics’ title hopes

In a comprehensive piece for Sports Illustrated online, Chris Mannix listed reasons why every contender could and couldn’t win the NBA title this year. What did he have to say about the Boston Celtics?

With the NBA playoffs beginning today, sportswriters are firing off their predictions like fireworks on the fourth of July (or any day in quarantine for the rascal community). The number one priority of the Houdini is to assess just what they think about the Boston Celtics.

This year, experts are bullish on their chances because of the uprising of guys like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart–who are all averaging career highs in scoring in 2019-20–the return of Gordon Hayward to a starter-level and the smooth integration of Kemba Walker into the starting lineup in place of Kyrie Irving.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix had the following to say about the state of the C’s:

"In Boston, the Celtics’ fate could hinge on the health of Kemba Walker. He has been on a minutes restriction throughout the restart. A nagging injury to his left knee suffered pre-pandemic lingered, forcing Boston to ease him in."

Mannix clearly sees the Celtics going as far as Walker is able to take them on his hobbled knee, but assuming he is able to stay healthy, there is hope for a title run:

"With Walker, Boston has the firepower to compete with anyone. Jayson Tatum was an All-Star this season. Jaylen Brown made a strong case to be one. Marcus Smart is arguably the NBA’s top perimeter defender, while Gordon Hayward has settled into a scorer-playmaker role. The frontcourt will get tested immediately by Joel Embiid, but the trio of Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter and Robert Williams have kept Boston in the top-five in defensive efficiency this season."

Nothing Mannix said here was out of the ordinary. Like we’ve been saying all year, the progress this team has made at the individual level is exactly what was needed to make this unit a true contender.

If the C’s are firing on all cylinders this team can win it. As just one of seven teams with an extended profile and just one of the three Eastern Conference teams included, Boston is rightfully seen as a conditional contender for the 2019-20 NBA Championship.