The Boston Celtics have dominated the playoffs, eliminating each team that has ousted them in the last three years. The Celtics are in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in seven years, thanks to a seven-game win over the Miami Heat, led by one of the best offensive weapons in the game, and one of the best defensive players in the game, as well as one of the best
Boston will not have a chance against the Golden State Warriors.
The Dallas Mavericks discovered that the Warriors are in a completely different class now that they are healthy and at full strength. Reality doesn't change even though the Celtics deserve their flowers for reaching the mountain top. It took seven games for them to dispatch the Heat. The Warriors have three Hall-of-Famers at their disposal, a deep bench full of two-way studs, and Andrew Wiggins, who is having a career renaissance after limiting. The Warriors have 123 games of NBA Finals appearances to the Celtics.
The Boston Celtics had a great turn around. The Celtics lost to the Knicks in New York on a buzzer beater. The early 2022 loss was the low point for the team, and for himself, as he was guarding the shot attempt. The Celtics went on a tear after that game, winning their next two games by a total of 24 points. The Celtics went from 18-21 to 33-10) in a single game.
After two years of Lottery-bound losing, the Warriors have returned to relevancy. The recent losing has given this team a renewed sense of motivation. The team performance and roster construction were not the fault of the last two years. Significant injuries to Curry and Thompson limited their power. The Warriors had a chance to retool their roster. Andrew Wiggings has been the team's best two-way perimeter leader since they got him.
Outside of the Celtics, the deepest team in the East is the Nets. Robert Williams is known as Time Lord, Al Horford is a grizzled veteran, and the other players are rookies. They are a difficult two-way team under new head coach Ime Udoka because they have shooting, toughness, and playmaking.
Udoka is the first head coach to reach the NBA Finals since Ty Lue in 2016 The Celtics have been inspired by Udoka to play team ball and establish a pecking order. He positioned Smart as the lead facilitator instead of playing off-ball as he did under Stevens. At Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, Smart excelled in the on-ball role. As the Celtics point guard, he has replaced the former Celtics point guard, Dennis, who seemed to be as much of a cancer off the court as he was on. This has allowed Smart to decide who to feed, as the offensive prowess of Brown and Tatum allowed them to flourish.
Smart will be facing a different type of opponent in the Finals in the form of Curry. Curry won't wade in the corner, he's too hobbled to drive inside. Curry is playing out of his mind right now and will keep Smart busy the entire series, taking away his ability to play the passing lanes as a free safety, help-side defender. The Warriors will look for mismatches against Horford. The aging veteran has lost more than a step on defense, and Draymond Green's three-point ability will keep Horford monitoring the perimeter, unlike Bam Adebayo, whose flat-footed, unpolished offensive game allowed Horford to stay in the paint. It will be harder for the Celtics to keep Warriors out of the basket when Williams isn't in the game.
The Celtics and Warriors were the top two defensive teams. They were the two deepest teams in the playoffs. This shouldn't be seen as a slight towards the Celtics. They climbed through the Eastern Conference. The core of this team has won three times before, so the Warriors have an advantage. While Udoka has been a revelation this season, Kerr's resume has locked him into being named a Top 25 Coach of all-time, which was announced this season. The Warriors have four bucket-getters, while the Celtics have two. The toughest show of defense of his young career was just finished by Luka Don, and it should be seen by Tatum. The Warriors have the advantage in this series because of their experience, firepower, defense, and leadership from the sidelines. It wouldn't be a surprise if the series only went five games. If Klay makes an appearance earlier than usual.
superior coaching, a better bench unit, four All-Stars, and Golden State's home-court advantage would have to be overcome by the Celtics. This feels very unlikely. The Celtics are on their way to being a regular contender for the championship. This season has been a success and a loss in the Finals will not diminish their accomplishments.
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