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Boston Celtics: Can the Team Make a Deep Playoff Run?

By Talar Kahwajian

April 1, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0, left) celebrates with guard Isaiah Thomas (4) after the game against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Celtics defeated the Warriors 109-106. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
April 1, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0, left) celebrates with guard Isaiah Thomas (4) after the game against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Celtics defeated the Warriors 109-106. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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With just 4 games remaining in the regular season, the Boston Celtics are gearing up for what they hope to be a deep playoff run.

Brad Stevens and his Boston Celtics have opened eyes around the NBA this season.  Critics from the beginning of the season who said they couldn’t achieve success due to lack of a superstar have been silenced due to the emergence of All-Star Isaiah Thomas.  Avery Bradley is emerging as the best perimeter defender in the league, and Marcus Smart has shown that his heart and hustle make him very valuable.

Not to be outdone, Jae Crowder has had his best season so far and has shown his defense and three-point shooting are imperative to the success of this team.  Boston has some work to do, but in the Eastern Conference, they can pull off a deep playoff run.  Now obviously this hinges on the type of matchup that Boston ends up with, but at the very least this team is good enough to win a first-round playoff series.

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The second round might be a bigger problem if the Celtics are matched up with a division foe in the Toronto Raptors.  That series could stretch to six or seven games, and there’s a very real possibility that Toronto would take that series.  However, if the Celtics get matched up with a more favorable opponent in the second round, then they could book their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals and most likely face the Cleveland Cavaliers.  A series against Cleveland probably wouldn’t end with an Eastern Conference crown, but this team would make the Cavaliers work for every game, and everyone will know if they didn’t already, that the Boston Celtics are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.

Mar 5, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) dribbles past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 120-103. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) dribbles past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 120-103. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Could Boston beat Toronto and make it into the ECF?  It wouldn’t be easy, but this team is full of surprises.  They beat both Cleveland and Golden State at home this year, two wins that weren’t supposed to happen.  This group is full of heart and hustle, they have defensive stoppers and an offensive firecracker in Isaiah Thomas.  Avery Bradley has the potential to get hot, as does Jae Crowder and if Boston wants to get far in these playoffs, those two will need to consistently be forces on the offensive end.

I believe Boston will get to the Eastern Conference Finals, and if they don’t – at the very least they would have put everything they have into every playoff game.  The X-Factor is Evan Turner, who has proven time and time again to be an option during crunch time.  He’s helped seal games for Boston before and this year has looked much more comfortable in Brad Stevens’ system.  The Celtics have the weapons, it’s just a matter of being consistent enough.

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