Speaking on NBA Today this weekend, ESPN’s Zach Lowe described the true nature of the Celtics‘ 2024 playoff run. Without discrediting the performance of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, or any Celtics players, he explains how easy these first three rounds have been for them.
“The Celtics are getting a bye to the Finals,” said Lowe. “You would be hard-pressed to find an easier road to the Finals in the entire history of the league. So it’s what happens after this series that’s ultimately gonna matter the most.”
"[Tatum will have] a game where he reminds everybody why he has been the 1A on this team. … The Celtics are getting a bye to the Finals." 😳 @ZachLowe_NBA says he believes in Jayson Tatum and the Celtics 🏆 pic.twitter.com/hiMLAEP58A
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 24, 2024
The NBA doesn’t have “bye” weeks for the postseason, but plenty of sports have adopted the practice to reward the best-performing teams. Not having to play a first-round opponent allows them some much-needed rest before the fighting begins and ensures they aren’t at risk of getting eliminated early due to bad luck or poor health.
For the Celtics, however, this postseason is the closest thing they’ve had to a bye. Their path through the East has been a breeze, starting with the Miami Heat in the first round. While they did show some resistance in the series, the Heat proved to be no match for the Cs without their best player and star leader, Jimmy Butler.
The injuries continued into the next round, eliminating Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen to leave behind a broken and tattered Cavaliers team. Now, the Celtics are looking to dispatch what’s left of the Indiana Pacers, who had to play without Tyrese Haliburton in Game 3.
At this point, the only thing that can stop the Celtics is themselves. While Tatum and Brown have not always taken care of business in the past, there doesn’t appear to be any team in the Conference that can keep up with them right now. But even beyond injuries, the East is not in a great state right now and the Celtics proved it by finishing with a 14-game lead for the first seed. If they don’t win the title this year, or at least get past this Pacers team, everyone will be asking questions about their seriousness as a legitimate title contender.
The NBA Eastern Conference Is In Rough Shape
Even before injuries devastated the East, the Celtics were projected to easily handle the competition. With a starting lineup of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kristaps Porzingis (who is out for the current series) the Celtics have one of the deepest and most well-rounded rosters in the league and they may continue to control the East for many years to come.
As good as Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are as a duo, their lack of consistency in the post-season always leads to an early exit and they will need to do something drastic to change the cycle. Conveniently, Paul George is a free agent this summer and had increasing connections to the franchise for months.
Meanwhile, the Bucks are only getting older as a team and the duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard did not work nearly as effectively as people thought. Similarly, the Clippers experienced a reality check this April when they got sent packing by Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in round one.
Young teams like the Pacers and Magic are on the rise but don’t have enough depth or experience to topple the Celtics at full strength. Unless the Knicks make a move to add another star, the Boston Celtics don’t have anyone to fear in the East for the foreseeable future and it will set them up to become a potential dynasty in the league.
For now, however, they are still just looking to win their first championship and Jayson Tatum knows better than to underestimate the opponent in front of him.
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