After the Celtics’ fascinating offseason, the consensus seems to be that this will be a very good regular-season team yet again, but people aren’t sold on their playoff equity. That’s reflected in the Vegas odds, as DraftKings projects Boston at an over/under of 51.5 wins, which is second in the Eastern Conference, just one game lower than the Knicks.
But in terms of actually winning the East, they have the Knicks and 76ers comfortably ahead of the Celtics.
However, when it comes to the Emirates NBA Cup, that’s a completely different story. And thanks in large part to the Celtics’ draw, DraftKings has them as the favorites to come out of the East and face off with the Western Conference champ in the Finals (the Spurs and Thunder are still favored to win the whole thing).
This makes sense as the Celtics really did get an extremely favorable draw, as they’re in Group C with the Hawks, Hornets, Wizards and Bulls. Boston is the only real contender in the group with real championship equity, and while the other teams aren’t pushovers, it would be a bit surprising if the Celtics aren’t Group C winners.
Adding to the luck for Boston is that Group B is shaping up to be a group of death, featuring five teams who all have title aspirations this year: the Knicks, 76ers, Heat, Cavaliers, and Pacers. Those five teams are going to beat each other up, and all face a much tougher path on paper to reach the knockout round.
Celtics in great position to make deep NBA Cup run
If the Celtics can take care of their business in the group stage, they’ll be set up to host a semifinal matchup against a possible wild card team that’s hopefully a bit more beat up after going through a gauntlet to make it that far.
And if Boston can reach the NBA Cup Finals, they’ll be off to Brad Stevens’ old home, Hinkle Fieldhouse, on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, where Stevens coached as an assistant from 2001-2005, and then as the head coach from 2007-2013, a run that included back-to-back trips to the National Championship Game before leaving to take over the Celtics.
The NBA Cup is not the NBA Finals, but it is certainly gaining steam, and it’s not meaningless. It would be great for the Celtics to make a run and get to play some playoff-intensity-level basketball in the first half of the season as the team tries to gel. Facing do-or-die stakes can help the team grow and learn what’s needed when the playoffs actually come around.
We saw it just last season as the Knicks beat the Spurs in the NBA Cup before facing off again in the NBA Finals. It’s a nice benchmark for where teams stand, a good way to get ready for games with those kinds of stakes, and ultimately it’s a chance for the Celtics to achieve something they never have before and build on the legacy of the most storied franchise in the sport.
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