Power Ranking 8 teams under more or less pressure than the Miami Heat to win a championship
By Brennan Sims
1. Boston Celtics
51-14
11.3 NetRtg
Yes, you read that correctly. The Boston Celtics have an 11.3 Net Rating; no other team in the East has a higher Net Rating than 5. Their 11.3 figure is tied for the fourth-best net rating ever.
With Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in the mix, this is an entirely different Celtics team from the past. KP gives them another spacer and a deterrent at the rim. Opponents only shoot 51% with him at the basket. Jrue Holiday is still a premier perimeter defender and deserves heavy All-Defense consideration.
Their team defense is bonkers, and they have the deepest personal in basketball. Derrick White is the best-shot blocking guard in the game. Jaylen Brown has made strides, and Jayson Tatum consistently locks in. Theoretically, Boston should have an answer for any offense in the postseason. But here we go again; the Celtics are the favorite, but can they actually capitalize?
If the Celtics cannot win it all with this roster, the Tatum/Brown era may be finished. When will you ever get it done if they cannot win it all with a top-two offense AND defense?
The Celtics are the definition of Championship or bust. If the Heat have been knocking at the door for years, the Celtics have been sitting in their car, waiting for the Heat to go inside. It's time for Boston to get some courage, go to the front door, and announce "We've arrived."
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