Can The Celtics Win Another NBA Finals?

The NBA regular season has officially come to a close. The Celtics have secured the two-seed in the Eastern Conference as they continue on their quest to repeat as NBA champions.

As the No. 2 seed, the Celtics will take on the seven seed Orlando Magic in the first round. It is worth noting the Celtics went 1-2 against Orlando in the regular season.

If you are as confident of a fan as me however, there is no doubt in my mind we will repeat. Am I biased? Of course, although I have reasoning to back it up. Here are the four main reasons Boston repeats as NBA Finals champions.

Road Success

One of the biggest indicators to playoff success for an NBA team is their away record. It is very simple; If you play well on the road, it translates to playoff success.

Boston went 33-8 on the road to end the regular season. That left the Celtics one game shy of tying the 2015-16 Warriors record for most road victories in a season. However, Boston did set a franchise best in wins away from home, beating out the 1972-73 Celtics and 1974-75 Celtics who each had 32 away wins.

The .805 win percentage on the road places is the third best mark ever, behind only the 2015-16 Warriors and the 1971-72 Lakers. Both teams made the finals that season, and the Lakers would win it.

TD Garden is one of the best atmospheres in the NBA and certainly helps the team when playing at home. However, being able to translate that success into other NBA arenas is extremely important.

Roster

The Celtics have done a better job than anyone at building around their superstar. Jayson Tatum is not the best player in the NBA, but he is a superstar in his own right.

The scoring aspect is clear as he has proven to be one of the best scorers in the league. Averaging 27 points per game and 3.5 threes per game. He has proven to be extraordinary at rebounding (8 rpg), while his passing game has taken the biggest strides this season, as Tatum posted a career-high in assists this season, becoming that superstar facilitator.

Adding to the elite offensive production he showed to be a defensive backbone for the team, a great teammate and overall leader.

Every championship team needs that superstar level player to lead them. The Celtics have there’s in Jayson Tatum. However he can not do it alone. Brad Stevens is the best general manager in basketball and he has provided Tatum with the best supporting cast in the NBA.

Of course, there is Tatum’s partner and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. Before the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, Brown was the best second option in the league in my opinion. Growing up in the league together, Brown and Tatum have learned to play perfectly off one another. This partnership flourished in the NBA Finals last year.

Point guard Derrick White has taken another level this year in his play. On any given night he can be the third best player on the court. He is huge in crunch time with his decision making and plays tireless defense. What makes this team so great is you could say that about every player 1-7 on this team.

Kristaps Porzingis has been able to stay healthy (relatively for his career) and has not seemed to slow down in his play. Al Horford has done a tremendous job being a vocal leader and defending that low post even at 38 years old. Jrue Holiday gives a spark of intensity when needed like no other. On top of it all, we have the best shooter in the world with Payton Pritchard.

A lot of teams have a superstar to lead them similar to Boston having Tatum. However no other team has the rounded roster that Boston has to support that superstar. In order to have success in the playoffs you cannot rely on just one guy (unless of course you have Lebron James).

This roster is built and designed on those deep playoff runs. The depth, the leadership, the defense, the shooting, and of course the superstar. No other team has a roster like ours.

Three Point Shooting

Finally, what I love most about this team is the three point shooting.

I have always had the mindset that three points are more than two points, therefore teams should be shooting more threes. Being a Celtics fan makes this thinking very easy to have.

We are the greatest shooting team of all time.  Derrick White and Payton Pritchard make up the best shooting backcourt in the league. Both finished top 5 in threes made with 265 and 255, and they did it without being a top two option on offense. Notably Pritchard did it coming off the bench.

It is not just those two guys however. This team loves to shoot threes, and they’re good at it. Tatum finished just outside the top 5 in threes made this season with 250. Everyone on this roster has the green light and everyone is capable of hitting from deep.

We not only led the league in three pointers made but we set the record as well with 1,364 made this season. We also Led the league in three pointers made per game with 17. No one can and no one will out shoot us. This will be a huge factor in games coming down the stretch where a three is needed to swing a game.

Matchups

As far as the east goes the Cleveland Cavaliers are the only team I think will prove to be a challenge. They have a great roster and leader in Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland was the best team in the East this year and secured the one-seed. This means if we meet in the conference finals they will have home court advantage.

With that said, I have full expectations Boston will beat Cleveland should we face them. Giannis and the Bucks are too top heavy to make a run to the Finals. Every other team either lacks the superstar or the experience to challenge us.

Am I cocky? Yes. Do I have reason to be? Even bigger yes.

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