Over the last several seasons, the Boston Celtics have come painfully close to winning the franchise’s 18th NBA title.
Last year was the fourth time in the last seven seasons that Boston has lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. The one time the Celtics won the East during that time span, in 2022, they went on to lose to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
This season, Boston is the cream of the crop in the NBA. The Celtics entered Thursday with the league’s best record (48-13), 5.5 games better than the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder, the Western Conference co-leaders.
No question about it, the time is now for Boston to win a championship. If we had to bet, we’d pick the Celtics to be the last team standing in June, but if they don’t go all the way, it will be because one of four teams eliminated them from the postseason.
That’s right. In our eyes, there are only four teams in the entire NBA capable of knocking off Boston, and we’re not including the Thunder and Timberwolves among them.
The four teams we see potentially being up to the task are…
Milwaukee Bucks
Let’s start with the team that many thought would be the favorites in the East heading into the season. Milwaukee sputtered at first after replacing Adrian Griffin with former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, but has won eight of 11 to move to second place in the Eastern Conference.
Rivers could be a liability come playoff time, but the Bucks’ 1-2 punch of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo can rival anyone’s, and Milwaukee boasts enough experience and championship pedigree on its roster to win the East.
Miami Heat
If the Bucks don’t beat the Celtics, perhaps the Heat will for the second year in a row. Miami and Boston have staged back-to-back epic seven-game Eastern Conference Finals, with the Heat stunning the Celtics last season.
At 35-26, Miami is only in sixth place in the East and still has to avoid the Play-In Tournament. However, “Heat Culture” is real, Erik Spoelstra is still their head coach and Jimmy Butler is one of the game’s top postseason performers. It wouldn’t shock us if the Heat foil Boston once again.
Los Angeles Clippers
Now, we’re getting into potential NBA Finals matchups. The Clippers (40-21) are in fourth place in the Western Conference, and despite having a painful history of playoff losses, remain one of the league’s most dangerous teams.
As long as they are healthy, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are two of the best two-way players in the NBA, and their style of play is made for the postseason. James Harden has fit in well in LA, and guards Norman Powell and Terance Mann provide additional perimeter firepower.
Head coach Ty Lue will not be intimidated in big games. How Russell Westbrook recovers from hand surgery and performs in the playoffs might be the ‘X’ factor for the Clippers.
Denver Nuggets
Last but not least, the defending champions. Denver has the NBA’s best player in Nikola Jokic, and guard Jamal Murray is one of the league’s top bucket getters, an essential skill for the playoffs.
The Nuggets (42-20) have a tremendous amount of continuity with their starting five, a quality head coach in Mike Malone and plenty of championship mettle. A Denver-Boston Finals matchup? Yes, please.
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How many teams do you think can take down the Boston Celtics this postseason?