The Boston Celtics look poised for a long postseason run and Bleacher Report sees them as likely participants in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Coming into the postseason, many saw the Boston Celtics as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, as they finished with a record of 48-24 while soundly sitting in the third-seed.
Throughout their first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, we saw every bit of why analysts regarded the Cs so highly, as they coasted to a series-victory in sweep fashion.
Now, in round number two, Boston finds themselves going up against a more challenging foe in the defending champions, the Toronto Raptors. However, though the oddsmakers deemed the Raps as favorites heading into the semifinals, the shamrocks currently find themselves up 1-0 in the series after a dominating performance in game-one.
With this, momentum is certainly on their side heading into tomorrow’s game-two and, should they find themselves up 2-0, their chances of advancing to the next round become exponentially greater.
Should they reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in four years, the feat would be revered by Boston Celtics fans across the globe. For Bleacher Report, however, this would be simply seen as all things going according to plan.
In a recent article that updated every NBA playoff team’s title odds and predictions, writer Andy Bailey penned in the Cs for an appearance in the 2020 E.C.F, claiming that the play of Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker, specifically, will be the driving factor in their success.
"According to Basketball Index’s “simple average impact,” which combines catch-all metrics from around the internet into one number, Tatum and Walker were the 14th- and 20th-most positively impactful players in the league this season. Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam were 18th and 33rd on that list.Of course, regular-season impact numbers aren’t determinative of an upcoming playoff series. Games are won and lost on the floor.There, Tatum’s star will continue to ascend. Against the defending champions, he’ll be the best player on the floor and help the Celtics reach the Eastern Conference Finals."
The piece finishes off by giving Boston a +1000 chance of taking home the Larry O’Brien trophy by the end of this campaign.
What say you Cs fans? Do you believe a different outcome is in store? Perhaps you think Boston is deserving of better championship odds?
Whatever the case may be, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter in the comment section below!