Winners of 23 of their last 29 games, the Boston Celtics have firmly entered the playoff picture. They currently sit in the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed, only percentage points behind the Chicago Bulls.
With only 14 games left on their schedule, it will be difficult to make up ground, especially with a West Coast trip coming up. However, the Miami Heat are in striking distance, with Boston sitting four games behind the conference’s #1 seed in the standings.
With that being said, the Celtics will start to look at specific playoff matchups as they progress into the postseason. If the season ended today, Boston would meet the Bulls in a seven game series…one that many would favor the Celtics in due to specific matchups.
The Boston Celtics have teams to be worried about
In a year where the Eastern Conference is as deep as its ever been, the Boston Celtics have many teams to be concerned about if they were to meet in a seven-game series.
Let’s go through 3 of the most underrated competitors in their path.
Boston Celtics underrated possible opponent #1: Atlanta Hawks
Coming off an Eastern Conference finals run, the Atlanta Hawks have never been able to put all the pieces together in the 2021-22 season. Trae Young has brought his play to a new level, yet the supporting cast and defense around him has caused this team to play well below expectations.
They sit at 32-34 as of March 12, good enough for the 10th spot in the East. This would put them in a one-game play-in against the Charlotte Hornets. If they were to win that contest, they would go on to face the loser of the Raptors-Nets play-in game, with the winner being awarded the eighth seed.
Sure, it sounds ridiculous to include a 10th seed as a real contender in the East, but would anyone be surprised if the Hawks’ offense caught fire in April and May, leading to a similar run as last year? Young is averaging 27.8 points, 9.4 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game on 45.4% shooting from the field and 37.9% from three. He’s become a more efficient scorer that can hit a shot from anywhere on the court when he’s got it going.
The Hawks have caused Boston trouble in the past, as they may have one too many offensive threats, stretching the Celtics’ #1 defense thin. Young surrounded by shooters such as Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Danilo Gallinari have the ability to put 120 up on anybody despite any effort from the opposing defense.
It’s unlikely, but the Hawks still have the potential to make a run in the Eastern Conference.