The Celtics enter the Conference Finals as overwhelming betting favorites for the second consecutive season. Last year, they were -550 favorites against the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. This year, those odds have more than doubled, with the Celtics listed at -1400 to win the series—a figure only surpassed by Michael Jordan’s 1997 Bulls for a Conference Finals series price in the last 35 years.
The discourse surrounding the Celtics has labeled this season as championship or bust, a perception that has followed the team all year long. With the reigning champion Denver Nuggets out of the way, that noise has only intensified, as the Celtics are now -150 favorites to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The odds indicate Boston’s path to its first championship in 16 years is quite clear. In fact, it would be considered an upset if they don’t raise Banner 18. The pressure is on for the Celtics, and no matter how hard they try to avoid it, they can’t escape it.
“You do your best to block it out. You just gotta focus on what matters the most, and that’s your team, each possession in front of you, whatever your job is,” Jaylen Brown said after practice on Monday.
“You see it. You try not to. But every time you put on the television, for anything sports, they are always talking about the Celtics, so it’s hard to get away from anybody talking about the Celtics. But for the most part, I do my best to stay away from it and just focus on what’s in front of you.”
The Celtics have the talent and capability to win the NBA Finals, an accomplishment whose true difficulty seems to be overlooked sometimes.
Talent-wise, Boston is undoubtedly the best team remaining.
Each member of their preferred starting five — Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White — finished in the top eight in All-Star voting this season, which is unheard of. Adding Al Horford, who completes Boston’s top six, they boast a combined total of 16 All-Star appearances, five All-NBA selections, and seven All-Defensive team nods.
You’ve heard all about their point differential, net rating, offensive rating, defensive rating, and whatever other ridiculous metrics the Celtics lead the league in. We all know what they are capable of. Now, it’s about wanting it and going out and seizing the opportunity, bringing that mindset and attention to detail they’ve prided themselves on all year, and controlling what they can control.
“We just gotta be the harder playing team, talent aside. Just go out there, compete, be the harder-playing team. That solves a lot of problems,” Derrick White said. “That’s something you learn in third grade, and it’s still true to this day in the NBA. Whether we have the talent or not, you just gotta compete and be the harder playing team.”
Unfortunately for the Celtics, they were reminded of that lesson last season, only this time, it didn’t come in a third-grade classroom. It came with the Miami Heat celebrating on the TD Garden parquet as they punched their ticket to the NBA Finals — a spot everyone expected the Celtics to return to.
The Celtics were the far more talented team a season ago. Yet, despite their talent, a series of mistakes, consistent lulls, and a lack of focus and consistency led to their downfall. It was a sobering lesson that talent alone isn’t enough to secure victory, especially in the NBA playoffs.
To succeed, you need to be the harder-playing team and want it more—a lesson that appears to have resonated deeply with the Celtics this season, as they have drawn on past experiences to fuel their drive.
“More experience. We got a couple of guys that added to the mix. One being KP, and [the other being] Jrue Holiday, a former champion. But it’s definitely different. We’re a lot older than some of those previous experiences,” Brown explained, highlighting the contrast between this team and those of the past.
“Everybody loves to say – same thing, same team, but each and every year, we’ve grown. Each and every year, we’ve learned. Each and every year, we’ve gotten older, matured, and it’s a different mix.”
The maturity of these Celtics has been evident all season. They have been building good habits, with their foundation grounded in mindset and learning from past mistakes. Now, eight wins away from reaching the pinnacle of basketball; they must lean into those habits and show why things truly are #DifferentHere.
“The guys have done a good job – disciplined basketball. Having an understanding of what wins,” Joe Mazzulla said. “Having a level of respect for each opponent, knowing that you could lose at any time if you don’t do X, Y, and Z.”
The opportunity is there for the taking; the only thing that stands in the way is themselves. The Celtics have been knocking on the door for over half a decade; now it’s time to get over the hump, using past experiences as a blueprint.
“I think when you have a team that has an opportunity to be successful, you are taking on the experience and the journey of the DNA of that team, but also other players, because you pull from different guys,” Mazzulla said.
“When you have a roster of the connectivity that we have, it’s because of the timing of each guy’s experiences kinda aligning for this opportunity. We have a group of guys that have been through a lot, good and bad, and anytime you are in a position, you want to use your successes and failures to learn from that and kinda apply them to the opportunities that you have.”
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