Why Boston Celtics are a lock to make NBA Finals

The Boston Celtics begin regular season play in under a month, and are in my opinion a lock to reach the NBA Finals.

We all know the closing images of the 2017 Boston Celtics season. It was once again LeBron James handing the Celtics their bags and sending the Celtics home, just short of ending his streak of consecutive NBA Finals reached. Truly devastating to the fans and players alike.

In 2018, that history will not be repeated though. LeBron has moved to Tinseltown to start his final chapter as a Los Angelas Laker. The big bad bully of the East is finally gone, and the Celtics are ready to pounce.

The Western Conference is reminiscent of March Madness. There is nonstop action everywhere and you really have no idea how it will play out. The Rockets, Warriors, and Lakers seemingly all have legitimate shots at the Finals, and teams like the TrailBlazers, Jazz, and Thunder are a piece away from joining that category.

More from Chowder and Champions

• 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
• 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
• MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
• 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
• Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win

Luckily the Boston Celtics play in the Eastern Conference, which is more comparable to High School hoops. There are some teams that are on the rise, but outside of Boston is there a real threat to do anything?

Look at the Raptors, the East’s best regular season team from a year ago. They won a franchise-best 59 games last year and seemingly improved throughout the offseason as they acquired All-Star Kawhi Leonard. But is anyone really buying the team from the north?

Kawhi is a great basketball player, but in the last 15 months has only played in 9 games. Who knows if he can be the same player after this mysterious injury that kept him out of last years campaign.

Furthermore, Kawhi is coming off of a career playing under Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, the best in the business and one of the best all time. Who knows how he will be used under Raptors rookie head coach Nick Nurse.

The Raptors second best player is 32-year-old Kyle Lowry, who is coming off of his worse season to date. Their bench is good and they will bear upon the weak teams in the East, but an early exit should be expected by now will this club.

The 76ers are a very solid thing, but their offense is simply not in the same stratosphere as Boston. J.J Redick and Joel Embid are phenomenal at putting the ball in the basket, but outside of those two, the team looks pedestrian like on offense.

Ben Simmons is still very raw, and although he should improve in 2018, he is not going to become the consistent scorer the team needs him to be. Wilson Chandler will improve their bench, but that is another weak spot on the team. They just can’t score at a consistent level and until they get better at what they are no real threat to Boston.

Other than those clubs, the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers offer good challenges as well. Both of those teams are young and explosive but need more experience and pieces before they are talked about.

From top to bottom no team in the East comes close to the Celtics. With a returning Gordon Hayward, as well as another year of experience from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, this team will be at a whole nother level.

From top to bottom only the Warriors are more complete than the Celtics. Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford offer one of the scariest starting lineups in the history of the franchise.

The bench led by Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier is the best in basketball. All lead by the mastermind of a coach Brad Stevens, this team is going to be quite the show.

The Boston Celtics are a lock to make the NBA Finals, and barring injuries, there is nothing anyone can do about it.