As the calendar flips to March and we creep toward the finish line of the regular season, the championship picture is starting to come together, but things are still quite foggy in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are running away with the conference’s best record, but they’re inexperienced, and they have a lot of questionable scorers and creators around Cade Cunningham.
The Knicks look the part, but their defense is a major issue with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns sharing the court. The Cavaliers have rounded into form, but they’ve been consistent disappointments in the playoffs, and adding James Harden isn’t exactly changing that narrative.
Then, there’s the Boston Celtics, a team that it seems like even the most plugged-in around the league aren’t sure what to make of. The Cs are the only team outside of Oklahoma City that has a top-7 offense and defense; they’ve got the fourth-best record in the league, second in the East, and they’ve got championship DNA on the bench and court.
And yet, many key players are still completely unproven or seemingly underachieving, and without Jayson Tatum, many still struggle to understand how they’re succeeding at such a high level.
NBA scout not buying Celtics as contenders
ESPN tried to get a better read on the complicated East by talking to coaches, scouts, and executives around the league, but that didn’t exactly clear anything up. A scout from a Western Conference team told the worldwide leader:
"They play hard every minute of every game, because if they don't play hard every minute, Joe [Mazzulla] calls time out and tells them about it. But playing hard will only get you so far. They have a talent disadvantage compared to the other top teams, at least until Tatum returns. The more talented teams usually win in the playoffs."
This scout clearly isn’t buying it, and is expressing a skepticism shared by many, that the Celtics’ brilliant regular season play won’t carry over to the postseason, when every team ramps up the intensity and aggressiveness while shortening rotations and eliminating weaknesses.
NBA assistant coach has Celtics as clear favorites in the East
But others are more optimistic. An assistant coach in the West expressed lots of positivity to ESPN, declaring:
"They know exactly who they are. They have great mental toughness. They are decisive, and there's no second-guessing. They're already awesome without Jayson, and you add him for 20 minutes a game, or more? They're the clear pick to me."
So there you have it. Even the most locked-in people in the NBA aren’t sure how to peg this Celtics team. You’ve got one extreme of people who think it’s a try-hard act, and they’ll be overwhelmed by talent in the playoffs. And then people on the other extreme who think even a compromised version of Tatum makes them the clear favorites.
That’s the beauty of basketball, and the beauty of sports in general. Nobody knows what’s going to happen. But the fact that we’re even having this conversation about this “gap year” is pretty damn incredible.