Old habits could end up haunting the Celtics. It’s time to spoil Boston Celtics fans’ fun before the postseason even starts.
Speaking of parades, don’t expect the Celtics to host one in the streets of Boston this summer.
The Celtics are the overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Finals after their outstanding regular season. They also have almost everything going for them. Boston boasts a star-studded roster with a large supporting cast to help fill in the blanks. With possibly their biggest opponent coping with an injury to one of its key players, the Eastern Conference’s path to the Finals is also clear for them.
Although it seemed inevitable that the Celtics will win the NBA championship, that isn’t actually the case. The Celtics still have a lot of opportunities to lose this postseason.
And here are three big reasons why the Celtics will fail in their pursuit of Banner 18:
Late-game ineptitude
Boston left a lot to be desired in terms of their game-ending performance. Does anyone really think that Joe Mazzulla or Jayson Tatum will make the perfect play in the closing seconds?
During the regular season, the Celtics struggled with a stagnating offense with Tatum simply dribbling the ball into the floor in the closing minutes of games. Boston, which finished 13-11 this season in games decided by six points or less, appears to focus more on isolations than on its amazing ball movement, an issue that is prevalent in the NBA.
Tatum has also not fared well in certain circumstances. It seems as though he hasn’t made a game-winning basket since defeating the Brooklyn Nets a few postseasons ago by making a layup at the buzzer. Since then, he’s had many more opportunities that have merely fallen flat.
The pressure in the playoffs will increase exponentially at game’s finish. During these thrilling finishes, execution must be nearly flawless, and the Celtics have demonstrated that they become overly eager and frequently crumble under such strain.
Turnover bug
The Celtics’ two most recent postseason runs have been wrecked by turnovers, which come at the worst possible time for Boston. The Celtics committed 23 turnovers when the Golden State Warriors finished the Finals on the parquet floor in 2022, and Jaylen Brown had eight turnovers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals the previous year.
The turnovers are part of the reason the Celtics have been 11-12 on their home court the last two postseasons.
Brown and Tatum certainly are the biggest culprits. Brown, who has handled a hand injury this season, had a team-high 3.3 turnovers per game during the playoffs last year while Tatum turned into the initial participant in NBA history with 100 turnovers in a single postseason in 2022.
The playbook for defending Brown and Tatum is clear to opposing defenses: get up on them and ruin their life. Although the famous pair has reduced their turnovers per game this season, they have not improved their ball handling sufficiently, particularly in light of the NBA’s recent changes that let defenders to be more aggressive.
The Celtics often want to put the ball in the hands of Brown and Tatum, and rightfully so. They are the team’s two best players who can score in a variety of ways. But if they haven’t completely fixed their ball-handling issues then there will be problems for the Celtics
NBA’s biggest star shines the brightest
Sometimes, a team’s only option is to tip its hat to the top player on the floor. If the Celtics face the Denver Nuggets in the Finals, there is a scenario that could come to pass. Tatum and Brown are not on the same level as Nikola Jokic. The two-time MVP ate up Kristaps Porzingis near the rim with a gorgeous variety of post moves in their two regular-season encounters, and the Celtics have no answer for him. Are we certain Porzingis can even survive the grueling postseason grind in good health? The idea that Luke Kornet or even Al Horford would have to try to protect Jokic is unsettling.
In Denver’s two victories over the Celtics, Jokic averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists while shooting 60.1% from the floor. This is probably what he’ll do in the Finals. Nobody else compares to Jokic. He’s an incredible individual talent who makes those around him feel better. He also possesses championship mettle. Even against a team as talented as Boston, trying to defeat him when he understands what it takes to win a championship is an extremely difficult challenge. Thus, Celtics, good luck with that.
