Why the Celtics are on pace for greatness

Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown celebrate Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Why the Boston Celtics are on pace for greatness

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 2/28/24

The Boston Celtics are arguably the most talented team in the NBA. They boast a 46-12 record. They are 19-9 on the road and 27-3 at home. Opposing teams have yet to find a weakness in their roster construction.

As such, ESPN's Brian Windhorst believes the team could be on the cusp of a season that matches up with the all-time great teams in league history.

"I think the Boston Celtics are kind of flying under the radar. They've been drama-free. Some of these other teams are so bunched together. We haven't been paying attention to that, and we should," Windhorst said on "First Take." "They are the number-one offensive team in the league. They're the number two defensive team in the league. They're number one in getting up three-pointers. They're top-five in steals. They're top-five in assists...They outscore their opponents by over 10 points per 100 possessions. That's the threshold, basically for greatness."

.@WindhorstESPN believes the Celtics look scarier than the Nuggets pic.twitter.com/SPhJFqPaS0
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 28, 2024

This is a different Celtics team from the one that lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals. It's also not the same team that fell to a shock defeat to the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens' decision to acquire Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this summer has transformed the franchise. Suddenly, the Celtics look like a potential dynasty.

However, Boston's inability to win a championship in recent seasons has generated doubt throughout the NBA fanbase. The Celtics need to win at the highest level before they are celebrated for this season's amazing feats. There have been too many close calls for fans to buy into this team's potential.

If the Celtics raise a championship banner this season, they will be strong favorites to retain it next year. Boston's core is under contract for at least one more season. There is no reason to change a formula that's clearly working.

Still, this season is championship or bust for Boston. They pushed their chips into the middle with their trade activity over the summer. There can be no excuses once the postseason begins. If the Celtics do win their first championship since 2008, though, we could be talking about this team for decades to come.

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