Boston Celtics Secure 18th Title, Prepares to Defend Against Doubters

Jayson Tatum knew what awaited him and his Boston Celtics. “We’re probably going to hear that we faced no one to get to this point. So we’re going to have to do it all again next year.” Premonitory words spoken even before his team was crowned, when it had just won the first three matches of the NBA finals. Since Monday evening, and after taking a beating during Game 4 in the meantime, the All-Star winger and his teammates have achieved their dream by winning the eighteenth title in the history of the Massachusetts franchise following a perfectly controlled fifth round (106-88).

A final masterful note as a concluding guide to a championship ultimately dominated from start to finish. The Celtics won 64 games during the regular season, 14 more than the Knicks, their first pursuers in the East, and even 7 more than the Thunder, first in the West. They then crushed the competition in the playoffs with 16 victories in 19 games. And yet, while the champagne has barely been popped, the route from Boston to the summit is already being pointed out. Tatum and his gang would have benefited from a royal road to the finals before facing a Dallas team out of breath after having dismissed Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and Minnesota.

Weak competition in the East… but training that is simply too strong

The playoffs in the East were indeed partly truncated by injuries. Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play for the Bucks and Damian Lillard missed a few games in Milwaukee’s first-round series loss. Joel Embiid had just returned from a long absence and he was not in full possession of his means, condemning Philadelphia to bow from the start, there too. Boston therefore did not have to face its two main designated competitors. The Celtics took out the Heat deprived of Jimmy Butler then the Cavaliers who found themselves without Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen during the series. They eliminated the Pacers – who themselves had benefited from some absences on the Knicks side – without Tyrese Haliburton in the last two meetings of the Conference finals.

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics celebrate during Game 3 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers

Credit: Getty Images

All this should not, however, make us forget the fact that Boston has been the best team in the league this season, and has been since the first weeks. In addition to their record, the Celtics finished with a plus/minus rating of +11.7 per 100 possessions, the third-best mark all-time behind Michael Jordan’s ’96 and ’97 Bulls. The gap with the Thunder, second in this ranking, was more than 4 points. Almost unheard of. Especially since they were just as efficient in the playoffs, finishing with +8.6 per 100 possessions. A statistic which fell significantly following the rout of Game 4 of the finals but which tends to show that this team has completely mastered its subject.

From a purely mathematical perspective, this is one of the most dominant seasons in history. Even if it is obviously necessary to qualify by specifying that the Celtics actually faced weakened opponents in the playoffs while taking advantage of a fairly weak Eastern Conference during the regular season. Nevertheless, Brad Stevens, the GM, and Joe Mazzulla have been able to build an extremely successful group on both ends of the field. Boston’s defense completely stifled Dallas’ offense by slowing down Luka Doncic and shutting down Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks scored less than 100 points in each of their four losses in these finals. The Celtics have also developed an attack with sensational performance (122 points on 100 possessions in the regular season!) by relying on the principles of their coach.

The Celtics, already favorites for the double

In the end, they were their fiercest opponents. To sit on the throne, they had to defeat their own demons. They were able to become fully aware of the stakes and the need to put their egos aside, both Brown and Tatum as well as the other members of this terrifying major five. They never really panicked and responded on the rare occasions when they were pushed to their limits. The collective intelligence of this group is quite incredible and this results in a team which has won 100 matches out of 121 upon arrival.

Joe Mazzulla, coach of the Boston Celtics, and his team during the last game of the NBA finals against the Dallas Mavericks

Credit: Getty Images

Of course they were lucky too. Like all champions. If we had to put an asterisk after the name of all the teams who took advantage of favorable circumstances, there would be almost no legitimate winners. Moreover, it should be remembered that Boston also played a large majority of the playoffs without Kristaps Porzingis and that the latter missed two finals matches before returning Monday evening. His few appearances on the field in this series, even though he was far from being at 100% of his abilities, showed the other dimension taken by the Celtics with the Latvian.

It’s obviously too early to talk about one of the best teams of all time. Unless it’s by focusing solely on a given season, where they can then compete with some of the other ten or fifteen franchises that have been head and shoulders above all others. Dynasties are built over time, of course. We have to go back to 2018 to find traces of a last double. The Warriors could then count on Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant in addition to Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

The Celtics are still young. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are just entering their prime. Porzingis and White are under 30, although the injury history is concerning for the All-Star center. Boston has accumulated so many certainties during this victorious season, it makes perfect sense to already make them the favorite for next year. They have the weapons to win a second time in a row, even against stronger competition. Then if Tatum and his comrades ever look for new motivation, they can always tell themselves that they apparently still have everything to prove.

2024-06-18 23:43:56
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