POLL: Are the Boston Celtics Legit Contenders THIS Season?

[Bad-Thoma]

Not this year. Milwaukee and Toronto are ahead of them team this year. On top of that you can't win with a bench this poor.

I like the reverse jinx!

[Red2]

I voted no. first we've been dogged by injuries all year and seem to be a very injury prone team. I don't see that changing once the playoffs start. If anything injuries are more likely during the playoffs. Second we have no bench so if we do have an injury there's no depth to overcome it. Third team have figured out that if you bully us we fold like a cheap suit. I don't see that changing either although I suppose that unlike injuries this is fixable to some extent. Next is the fact that Kemba Walker is having a down year and has been hurt a lot and is possibly still hurting. There's time for him to get back into form but overall he hasn't looked good outside of a handful of games early in the year. Next is our penchant for giving up big leads and losing close games. Some of that is a maturity issue and some of it just seems to be inherent in brad stevens teams. We've seen this for a while now where the team gets up big and then stops playing. Some of that is our youth and inexperience and some of it is Brad. As for coaching Brad has shown he can get a team to the ECF but that was with a much grittier and tougher team than we currently have. Our lack of toughness and inability to score when teams get physical with us is going to be a problem in the playoffs.

[zoyathedestroya]

Currently, only 3 teams are top 5 in Offensive Rating, Defensive Rating, and Net Rating -- Clippers (3,5,3), Lakers (4,3,4), and Celtics (5,4,5). Bucks (6,1,1) aren't so they're not contenders lol.

[zoyathedestroya]

http://www.gordonhayward20.life/2020/03/11/the-home-stretch/

We certainly have all the pieces to be a championship contender. Offensively, we’ve got lots of different weapons, guys that we can go to, lots of playmakers to get a big bucket. I think that can be a blessing and a curse sometimes. We’re blessed as a team to have this many ball handlers. But I think that’s also a danger for our team, because we have so many guys who can do different things and make plays, and create shots for themselves. In some cases, we’ve basically just stopped moving the ball and instead kind of watched and taken turns. That’s when we get out of rhythm.

When you’re not the one handling it, you’ve got to find other ways to impact the game and try to help us win. If we’re playing an isolation game, and not hitting shots that night, it’s pretty easy to get beaten. So we just have to be careful of that, and try to make sure we’re keeping the ball moving side to side.

When we utilize everybody, and by that I mean, moving the ball, moving bodies, making it so we’re not just kind of standing and watching and taking turns, that’s when we’re at our best. Certainly, when we can get in transition, too—with the ability for anybody to bring the ball up, and how fast we can get up the court with the athletes that we have—we’re at our best, too.

That’s where we really have to really make it easy for ourselves on the offensive end—through good defense. When you’re able to get stops on defense and then run, you can get out and get easy baskets. Usually in those situations, the ball is moving because you have an advantage when you’re in transition, in some way or another. The reads are always pretty easy, and you’re able to make plays. Everyone is getting involved that way.

We definitely have shown this year—and I truly feel this—that we have the ability to be really, really good on defense, to lock people down just with how versatile we are. So it’s a big key for us, defensively, making sure that we’re focused on that end of the floor.

[ConstableGeneva]

Does reaching the Conference Finals and being among the last four standing make us "legit contenders"? Asking for a friend.

[Joshyjess]

Well, with just one more speed bump on the road to the finals, we are about to find out if the C's are legit or not.

[Jaqua92]

Does reaching the Conference Finals and being among the last four standing make us "legit contenders"? Asking for a friend.

No, imo. It's just the way the league is structured. Top end talent. LA teams are the only two teams who are legit contenders, imo.

We are the next best team though. Which, given our youth, I'll take it. But I fully expect to get rocked by either LA team when we make the finals this year. Which, we will.

As long as much doesn't change, we're about 2 years from being legit contenders imo.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[ddb]

I voted yes. In the bubble the Celtics are legit contenders. They have young legs that frustrate teams... They play terrific defense which frustrates teams. They stick together and have continuity as a unit. Well coached. Mutual court. It's anyone's ballgame IMO. Going in I felt like the Clippers were built to win it all. Then there's always LeBron capable of winning it all. Miami has been the surprise team if you ask me. They are hot at the right time. I really think it's anyone's ballgame at this point in the bubble.
I do think that in order for Boston to win it, they need Hayward back close to full health being able to contribute off the bench 20-25mpg. They need 1 more piece to beat the Heat in a 7-game series and beat either LAL or LAC in a 7-game series.

[leper-con]

The Bubble has been very NCAA tournament like.
Cinderella teams knocking off favorites.
Teams forcing game 7s.

Players rising, players falling.

[Bleeding Green]

Does reaching the Conference Finals and being among the last four standing make us "legit contenders"? Asking for a friend.

Yes. Anyone who says otherwise is just really bad at this. One of the final four teams but somehow not a contender. But the Bucks are a contender, and so are the Raptors. OH, and don't leave out the Rockets. Big contenders. If he Clippers lose tonight? Fake news, they're still contenders.

There will still people claiming 'no' when Tatum is popping champagne on the virtual duck boats.

[chrisab123]

They have a 25% chance to win the title. Thats legit

[31to6]

They have a 25% chance to win the title. Thats legit

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-nba-predictions/?ex_cid=rrpromo

60%, according to fivethirtyeight’s model which is for some reason basically humping our leg.

[Parliament10]

They have a 25% chance to win the title. Thats legit

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-nba-predictions/?ex_cid=rrpromo

60%, according to fivethirtyeight’s model which is for some reason basically humping our leg.

Well said.
Both of you.

[3D Chess]

They have a 25% chance to win the title. Thats legit

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-nba-predictions/?ex_cid=rrpromo

60%, according to fivethirtyeight’s model which is for some reason basically humping our leg.

Guessing that will come down if the Clippers get past the Nuggets tonight.

[djFan71]

I originally voted no, somewhat based on semantics. I thought we were "fringe" contenders (5-10% chance if things broke our way) not "legit" ones. But that may have just been the diference between legit contender vs favorite.

I still think it's going to be hard to beat an LA team without a healthy Hayward available, but I do think I was wrong in underestimating how much the top 3 players mattered and worried a bit too much about minutes from players 7 and 8.

[celticfan42487]

Still no

[Fencer reregistered]

All four teams in the conference finals are legit contenders this year.

[Fencer reregistered]

What will be unusual is the number of franchises who'll go into the offseason thinking they're legit contenders next season:

PRETTY DEFINITELY
Lakers
Nuggets
Celtics
Heat
Clippers (they have to go all-in)
Bucks (almost certainly ditto)
Rockets (likely ditto)
Warriors
Nets

MAYBE
Raptors (they were pretty competitive this year)
Sixers (they were supposed to be pretty competitive this year)
Mavs (definitely soon, but they might wait until 2021 free agency to get really serious)
Pacers (all their top guys were hurt, so the horrible playoff series hardly counts)
Jazz (they did give fits to the Nuggets)
Blazers (if not now, when?)

[return2glory]

Contenders yes. Legit contenders no. Half way through the season I was saying we need to add a guy like Crowder. Semi didn’t get any better this year. Grant didn’t get enough minutes to make progress. Hayward going down really hurt the depth of this team.

If Hayward is about to get back and give us 20 good minutes a game off the bench, then we will have a legit shot.

[Bleeding Green]

Clippers still more of a contender this year than the Celtics according to many.