Why Boston Celtics Will Win East, Advance to NBA Finals

To some degree, Jaylen Brown will not like reading praise about the Boston Celtics.

“I like when my back is against the wall,” Brown said during a road trip to Los Angeles earlier this season. “I like when people doubt. It fuels me.”

Partly because of that fuel, the Celtics have thrust themselves into an unthinkable position.

Many observers projected the Celtics would experience a gap year in the 2025-26 season while adjusting to two financially driven trades (Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday), free-agent departures (Al Horford, Luke Kornet) and a nearly season-long injury (Jayson Tatum). Instead, the Celtics (54-25) enter Thursday’s game (7:30 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video) against the New York Knicks (51-28) on pace to finish with the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed.

The Celtics haven’t just proven themselves as a worthy playoff contender, though. They have excelled well enough to become the betting favorite to advance to the NBA Finals out of the Eastern Conference.

Brown may not win regular-season MVP, but he has morphed into a worthy candidate. Tatum, after rehabbing his right Achilles tendon nearly all season, returned last month and has accepted a reduced role. The Celtics have a supporting cast full of familiar faces (Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta) and new ones (Nikola Vučević, Luka Garza). Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has maximized his roster to ensure that Boston is one of the league’s most balanced offensive and defensive teams.

“We’re hungry,” White said earlier this season. “Everybody doubted us. We have a lot of guys that have that chip on our shoulder.”

Tatum Will Be in Full Form When Playoffs Start

Tatum arguably has the biggest chip after suffering an injury that often sidelines players for an entire season. Sometimes, it even ends their careers. Not Tatum, who returned in 10 months. Both the Celtics and outside doctors found the quick timeline reasonable because of Tatum’s age (28), disciplined rehab and limited workload.

They also projected this could work because Tatum would have about a month of regular-season basketball to improve his conditioning and timing. Yes, Tatum remains on pace to finish with the third-lowest averages in his nine-year career in points per game (21.6) and minutes played (32.1) as well as a career-low shooting percentage (41.9%). Tatum has compensated, however, with a career-high in rebounds (9.8) and his second-highest output in assists (5.1) per game. Once the playoffs start, both parties project that Tatum can manage a heavier workload.

No one should worry about how Tatum and his teammates will accommodate him as either the team’s first or second option. Tatum and Brown figured that out well enough to win an NBA championship in 2024. Following tactical adjustments in two NBA Finals (2024, 2022) and three other Eastern Conference finals (2018, 2020, 2023) together, Tatum and Brown have become one of the NBA’s most cooperative and productive duos. Tatum will show his readiness to increase his scoring and shooting. With refined shot selection and passing efficiency, Tatum won’t feel compelled to force anything.

Brown Has Maintained MVP Play With and Without Tatum

Without Tatum, Brown elevated his role to reach career-highs in points (28.8) and shot attempts (21.9) per game. Brown did not solely resort to one-on-one play, though. In addition to his prolific shot creation, Brown ensured a team-wide prolific offense with aggressiveness and attentiveness. He attacked the paint to create opportunities at the rim, at the free-throw line and on kick-out passes. He remains on pace to finish with career-highs in assists per game (5.2), thanks to those drive-and-kicks, pick-and-rolls and swing passes. He often took on the team’s top defensive assignment, too.

So much that Brown argued he has become the “best two-way player in the world.” Since Tatum’s return, Brown has maintained his role as the team’s primary scorer and defender. Yet, Brown will become adaptable by adjusting his approach as Tatum expectedly increases his workload.

“I’ve always had a great mentality and approach to the game,” Brown said. “I’ve always put the team first. Whatever the coaching staff has asked me to do, I’ve done. Now I’ve been asked to do more because a lot of guys have been traded. I’m forced to be in this position. And I’m grateful because I’m able to show the world who I am and who I’ve been.”

Celtics’ Coaching, Supporting Cast Have Been Strong

Most observers expected Brown to elevate his play. Few expected his teammates would follow suit.

“I want to speak to how rare it is to have five or six new players come in and add to winning right away,” Brown said. “It says a lot about our leadership. It says a lot about our coaching staff. That does not happen in the NBA.”

It happened to the Celtics, however, for a few reasons.

White, who won the Eastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month honor in February, morphed from dependable two-way player into an All-Star candidate. Pritchard and Hauser have received consistent minutes in Boston for their reliable outside shooting. Garza has thrived with more playing time than in his previous stops. Queta, after experiencing a fluctuating role in his first four seasons, has become a definitive starter as a productive scorer and rim protector.

Sensing they still had a title-contending window, however, the Celtics acquired another proven big man in Vučević from Chicago for a young wing in Anfernee Simons before the trade deadline. Vučević stayed sidelined for nearly a month with a fractured right ring finger, but he has recently returned and appears ready to contribute to a playoff run with his scoring and passing versatility.

“You never really know going into the season. But I was pretty confident in the summer that we would do a lot of good things,” White said. “Obviously, we’ve had a lot of new faces and new roles, so you didn’t know how quickly it’s going to happen. But I was pretty confident going into the season with the work we put in.”

Most importantly, the Celtics have an innovative coach. Mazzulla has managed his stars by both collaborating with them and holding them accountable. He has elevated his role players by putting them in positions to succeed.

“Since I’ve been here,” Mazzulla said, “I get to coach guys that care about winning and care about defense, care about the team.”

Eastern Conference Landscape Is Turbulent

Compare the Celtics to their competition.

The Detroit Pistons (58-22) currently have the No. 1 seed. Yet, they played inconsistently even before Cade Cunningham’s recent injury. The New York Knicks have mostly the same roster as last year’s Eastern Conference finals team. Yet, their defensive improvement under veteran coach Mike Brown has coincided with an unpredictable supporting cast. The Cleveland Cavaliers have added James Harden to the star-studded roster of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Yet, they have stayed unreliable with their health and team chemistry.

The Celtics may still have question marks about whether they can win another NBA title. They will at least advance to the NBA Finals, though. They do not field the same issues as the other Eastern Conference contenders. They already have defied the public’s expectations, too.

“Even though it’ll be nice to get some respect, keep it up,” Brown said. “I definitely use it as fuel.”

Mark Medina is an NBA contributor for Athlon Sports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.