Business still unfinished: How the Boston Celtics blew perfect chance at a title

Equipped with depth, experience, and a little help from others, the 2022-2023 Boston Celtics had an incredible opportunity to secure Banner 18 — but in the blink of an eye, it all disappeared.

It was not Giannis Antetokounmpo and the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks or a LeBron James Cavalier-led team, the Boston Celtics encountered a ball club that finished dead-last points per game in the regular season with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Detroit Pistons even scored more points per game than the Miami Heat during the 82-game season.

Similar to the heavily favorite Boston Bruins, the two-seeded Celtics could not get the job done at home in a Game 7. Maybe it is just the grit of the teams down in Florida, but there should be no excuses for either club to find themselves in a seventh game against a team with far inferior talent.

The Heat lacked depth all year, but when they needed it in the most crucial game of the season, their bench became their most lethal asset. It was an opportunity to take on an inexperienced and beatable Denver Nuggets team for the most prestigious prize in the NBA. The search for Banner 18 goes on into 2024, but it is hard for this ball club not to look back now at the chance they had this year to finish what they failed to against the Warriors.

It was almost too good to be true for a team like this. They fought their tails off when everyone counted them out, and just when you thought they figured it out, their flaws became exposed. The series was not over when Jayson Tatum fell awkwardly in the first possession of Game 7, the series was wrapped up when the Boston Celtics blew a nine-point lead with under 7:00 left to go in Game 2. The lapses throughout a game have to be short, especially in the playoffs. The problem for Boston was that those lasted far too long and in far from ideal situations, making it an insurmountable task for the Cs to be able to dig themselves out.

The men in green head into an offseason filled with questions as the job still remains unfinished. For the second straight postseason, Jaylen Brown’s decision-making on the offensive end cost the Cs in some of the most important contests of the season. No team can win a ball game when one of their top-two players accounts for eight turnovers. There will be mumblings surrounding the decision to extend the former California guard, but it goes without saying that he is one of the best two-way guards in the association today.

It was not about the desire not to want it, or the personnel in the locker room. Throughout the season you could see the positive environment that was being created by the entire Boston Celtics roster. At the end of the campaign, the execution part ultimately led to the demise of a team that Brad Stevens constructed brilliantly following a Finals defeat. You either thrive by the three or die by the three. Boston died on that hill, shooting poorly in back-to-back contests to end the season with one display proving to be far too much to overcome.

All year, the Boston Celtics have been defined by their ability to be inconsistent. Joe Mazzulla did a sensational job bringing this team back together, but this group never was able to stay locked in over an extended period of time. It started after the All-Star break and continued into the playoffs. Whether it was Game 5 at home against the Atlanta Hawks, going down 3-2 to the Philadelphia 76ers, or falling in a 0-3 hole in the ECF, persistence has always been the identity of this team. That is a trait that is important to take note of, but for a team to claw their way to the end, they need to be able to piece together complete games rather than becoming complacent when they are ahead late.

A talent advantage does not always win championships, and the Boston Celtics learned that the hard way

They got by against the 76ers, and the Hawks in the first two rounds, but in the Eastern Conference Finals, Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat had the mentality, and discipline to get up on their feet when they were punched the hardest. You have to credit Boston for coming back from 3-0 and finding a way through the Ime Udoka situation, but at the end of the day, the same old habits still prevent this team from breaking through. From fourth-quarter execution to costly giveaways that lead to buckets for the opponent in transition, Boston never fixed the mistakes it somehow got away with en route to the Finals last year.

From opening night, this year’s version of the Celtics was one that was impossible not to root for. They had the personality, comradery, and All-Star quality to get the job done in June. This era of the Cs has been one that never makes it easy on themselves. When they have the ability to lighten their load in the future, this ball club has had the tendency to self-combust. Miami reached the Conference Finals in just 11 contests while Boston needed two extra to match up with the Heat. The character, and toughness were present through it all, but when it came down to the most crucial of games, this team continuously uncovered ways to provide less talented teams hope.