The Boston Celtics are once again in the conversation for Title Contention, largely in part because of their fantastic team-oriented style of play. Guys have stepped and evolved into something special that I don't think anyone expected, especially on the franchise cornerstone (in my opinion) Jae Crowder.
Not only has Crowder become the best player on the team, he's evolving into a go-to guy in clutch situations. According to Bleacher Report, Crowder is shooting a ridiculous percentage when it comes to game tying or go ahead buckets with seconds left on the shot clock, coming in at a whopping 83.3 percent (that's on 5 of 6 shots he's taken, which we could all agree is rather impressive.)
Another important piece the Celtics currently have comes off the bench, and might be the most underrated sixth men in the entire league: Evan Turner.
Expectations were high for Turner when he came out of college, as he was supposed to be the person who revitalized the 76ers franchise after the departure of Allen Iverson.
As everyone knows, Turner was not the player that many envisioned him to be.
Which is not to say that he wasn't, and currently isn't, a good player. It's simply that he was perceived to be a future superstar, or at the very least, an All-Star.
But since coming to Boston, he has become something which is vital to the success of this basketball team, and that's that he has given the Celtics an elite scoring option coming off the bench, which can also make plays for the people around him.
Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think Turner is an elite scorer. All I'm saying is that he pretty much demolishes the opposing team's bench while he's on the floor, and he does so in a way that shows his dominance against the lesser competition. This is good because Crowder is one of the franchise players that absolutely should start the game, as he impacts the game on both sides of the ball in a manner that simply cannot be duplicated from anyone else on the Celtics roster.
And then we have to talk about Jordan Mickey. My goodness, where has this kid been?
Mickey was drafted by the Celtics to fill a certain necessity the Celtics still desperately lack if they want to be a contender in the Finals sometime soon: Rim Protection and Tenacious Rebounding. If he continues to showcase his talent like the flashes he provided last week against the Jazz, it's going to be difficult for Brad Stevens to keep him waiting on the bench much longer.
And to finish off the analysis, we have to talk about what could be the most important person on the Celtics.
No, it's not Isaiah Thomas. No, it's not even Jae Crowder (as much as that hurts to say).
The man who has led this team to an unbelievable new period of greatness is Brad Stevens.
The current Eastern Conference coach of the month has shown the world that he deserves to be in the NBA, and he will be the next coach to bring greatness to Boston.
His vast knowledge of the sport and plays is merely a part of the equation. He also is a great coach in the sense that he knows how to amplify his team's production and brings out the best in his players.
After taking this all in, a fair question to ask might be this: How far can the Celtics go this year?
In my opinion, there are two scenarios that I could see happening once the playoffs come rolling around.
The first, is the one which i believe to be the most realistic. The Celtics, as good as they are, are simply outmatched by the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, as Lebron takes his team to a Finals appearance despite the Celtics valiant efforts. In this scenario, however, the Celtics get to watch the Cavaliers burn by the hands of the Warriors or the Spurs in the NBA Finals, with incoming chaos coming for an aging Cavalier team.
The second scenario is less likely, but much more fun to think about.
The Celtics take a great regular season and march through the first 2 rounds en route to a decisive matchup against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals... and they win.
They go on to become the absolute underdogs in the Finals, probably facing a Warrior team stacked with talent. What happens in the Finals, however, is up to debate.
Many will say that Steph Curry will dominate again, and grab his second straight NBA title with ease as they muscle out the Celtics.
Others will say the opposite, thinking the Celtics relentless defense might cause some trouble for the Warriors to keep up.
Win or lose, however, the Celtics already win if they make it to the Finals. The most talented players will come running to the Celtics in the following offseason, and the Celtics will become one of the most dominant teams with the help of these said players.
They will be good enough to at the very least compete and compete with heart with the team they face in the next finals, and Banner 18 could be raised to the joy of all Celtics fans.
A wise man once said something that will never leave my mind, "Anything is Possible."
