Forget the “easiest path” revisionist history coming from the get-off-my-lawn old-timers lately, the Boston Celtics were the obvious best team in the NBA and title favorites last season: 64 wins (a seven-game lead over second-place OKC), the best offense and second-best defense in the league, and a +11.7 net rating that was 4.4 better than anyone.
When did Jayson Tatum realize Boston was going to win the title? After the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, he told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
“People always ask me, when did you guys know you were going to win a championship?” Tatum said. “When Minnesota beat Denver, I felt like Denver was the only team that they matched up best with us. I thought that we were going to play Denver in the Finals and it was going to be a good one.”
Last season’s Western Conference was a game of rock/paper/scissors — Minnesota was the one team built to stop Nikola Jokic and Denver, but Dallas had a roster well constructed to beat Minnesota (Oklahoma City was the No. 1 seed but young and inexperienced, it was not the threat the Thunder will be this season). Dallas won out and advanced but Boston, with quality perimeter defenders all over the court, was an impossible matchup for them. Jokic and Denver would have been a bigger matchup problem, especially if Kristaps Porzingis suffered that same injury.
On paper, Boston faces bigger threats in the East this season with improved teams in New York and Philadelphia, plus Milwaukee remains dangerous if everyone is healthy (it’s a step down to Cleveland, Indiana and everyone else). That said, Boston is the bar to clear for any team dreaming of an NBA title — and no team may clear it. It will be hard to pick against a Celtics team that is deep with two-way talent and plenty of championship experience, they have fewer questions than anyone else. Is Denver as good and the same threat this season as they lose a veteran in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (on the heels of losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green) and lean into a youth movement? Is Oklahoma City ready for the next stage? The questions continue for every other team.
It’s going to be a wild NBA season but one thing is a safe bet: Tatum and Boston aren’t going to feel sure about a title after the second round of the playoffs this time.
