Boston Celtics star already locked in on NBA Finals

The Boston Celtics saw a bitter end to an otherwise encouraging season when they fell short to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals back in June. The Cs had a solid 2-1 lead and looked primed to go up 3-1, leading in the fourth quarter of Game 4. Eight minutes and eight missed 3-pointers later, the series was tied 2-2 and the Warriors never looked back, finishing off Boston in six games.

The loss of course stung many of the players and has motivated them to start off the 2022-23 NBA Season. Boston sits atop of the Eastern Conference with a league-best 19-5 record after Sunday’s 103-92 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Things are going great for the Celtics. Star forward Jayson Tatum is looking like an early favorite to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award and has already taken home the Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors for November. His rookie-head coach Joe Mazzulla has taken home the equivalent award and has the team thinking about sandcastles.

Boston has all of this positivity surrounding the team, all before all-defensive center Robert Williams III has made his season debut. Williams averaged 10 points, just under 10 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game over the course of the 2021-22 NBA Season. In his absence, the Celtics have been getting production from just about everywhere, but specifically from their stars.

As mentioned earlier, Tatum is having a monster start to the season. It’s really been the talk of the Boston Celtics community so far, as excitement builds for the potential of the franchise’s first Most Valuable Player award winner since Larry Bird.

With the spotlight shining on Tatum, Jaylen Brown’s strong start has somewhat flown under the radar. The seventh-year guard/forward has been shattering his career-highs so far this season. His 27 points per game is a career-best by a long shot, with the next highest being during his 2020-21 campaign, where he averaged just under 25.

After Sunday’s victory at Barclay’s Center, Brown had quite the statement for the media, saying:

"“I’m really focused on getting us back to the NBA Finals.”"

Those are some big words from the Georgia native. But, in fairness, he’s been walking the walk as well as talking the talk.

Jaylen Brown has been playing at an elite level for the Boston Celtics

Over his last two games, Jaylen Brown has been an absolute monster. On Friday night against the Miami Heat, he poured in a season-high 37 points in an overtime defeat — not to mention, he pulled down 14 boards and dished out eight assists (he also gifted Miami seven turnovers but that’s not the point here).

In Brooklyn on Sunday, Brown continue to be a man ignited, hanging 34 on the Nets and ripping down another 10 rebounds. He put on a spectacle in the first quarter, when he scored 20 of those points, while knocking down five 3-pointers.

If Brown keeps up this level of play, then he’ll be a lock to make his second NBA All Star appearance. Voters may even have to consider him for an All-NBA team slot.

Oh, and the Boston Celtics will continue to be a WAGON.