The Celtics are getting treated like the safe pick with a capped upside, but that framing doesn’t hold up when you line them up against the rest of the East.
Boston’s skeptics keep circling back to the same two points: the loss of a proven playoff performer in Jaylen Brown and last season’s collapse against the Sixers, when the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead in round one. That was ugly, no question.
But outside of that one crater, this group has been winning in the playoffs ever since Jayson Tatum arrived. The flaws are real, yet the case that Boston somehow has a lower ceiling than the rest of the conference feels shaky.
Start with the Knicks, the current favorites. New York had a magical run, but repeating as East champs is a different animal. The last team to win the conference in back-to-back seasons was LeBron James’ Cavaliers, and history makes that road look brutal.
The same goes for Philadelphia, even with all the buzz around them. The Sixers are being treated like a darling, but the concerns are obvious: the defense is going to be bad, and there’s no center depth behind Joel Embiid, who can’t stay on the court. The fit still has to be sorted out, and it’s not hard to see the whole thing going sideways.
Toronto is leaning on hope more than certainty. That group hasn’t even won a playoff series, and now the bet is that Kawhi Leonard can turn back the clock and survive a full playoff run healthy, something he hasn’t done since 2019. That’s a lot to ask.
Detroit has its own issues. The Pistons have won exactly one playoff series with this core, and it came after a Franz Wagner injury in a seven-game win over the 8-seeded Magic.
They also lost key pieces in the offseason and hurt their relationship with Jalen Duren. On top of that, there’s expectation of a step back from their 60-win season last year.
Cleveland has become another team people love to talk themselves into, but the playoff résumé still isn’t there. They backed into the ECF and then got embarrassed by the Knicks. The wing issues remain unresolved, and the James Harden playoff problem is still hanging over them.
Indiana is in a tricky spot too. Tyrese Haliburton did not return from his Achilles injury last season, unlike Jayson Tatum. The Pacers rode a wild playoff run in 2025, but Haliburton hasn’t played since, they’ve changed out some key pieces, and it may take time before they find their rhythm again.
Miami made the biggest swing of the group, landing Giannis, but the cost was steep. The Heat gutted their depth to get it done, then paired him with Bam Adebayo, a star who occupies similar spaces on the floor. The fit is awkward, and the roster doesn’t have enough ball handlers or shooters to make it easy.
That’s the larger point: every East contender comes with baggage, and most of it is heavier than Boston’s. The Celtics know who they are in Joe Mazzulla’s system. They’re built to win a lot of regular-season games, finish high in the standings, and host playoff series.
Maybe one of these other teams hits its ceiling. But even then, Boston is the one club they’ll have to get through, and that’s before you even factor in whether those teams can survive long enough to face them.
The Celtics have a proven system, a real track record, and a championship ring with much of this core. Writing them off as a team with no playoff answer or a limited ceiling just doesn’t make much sense.
In Other News...
Celtics Are Sending A Clear Message To Doubters Without Jaylen Brown
The Celtics have spent much of the season trying to answer the same question about how far they can go without Jaylen Brown, and the latest outside projection does not exactly settle the debate. ESPNs Basketball Power Index still places Boston among the leagues elite, ranking it fourth on the regular-season board and giving it a 7% shot at the title, which is enough to keep the club in the mix even as the scrutiny around its playoff ceiling lingers.
What makes Boston hard to dismiss is not just where it sits in the standings, but how well it appears built for a postseason run. The Celtics have favorable playoff positioning, the kind of depth that can survive the grind of a series, and a rsum that stacks up well against the other top threats in the East. So while the noise around Browns absence has fueled plenty of doubt, the playoff path still leaves room for Boston to prove the conversation was premature. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Scheierman Is Forcing His Way Into A Celtics Debate
Baylor Scheierman spent his first two NBA seasons mostly as a name to file away for later, but his post-All-Star break stretch last year changed the conversation in Boston. The third-year guard-wing showed better efficiency and a sharper scoring touch, enough to make the Celtics look twice at how he might fit into a rotation that already has three likely starters set and two other spots still up for grabs.
Scheiermans case is built on something Boston always values: enough offense to matter, enough defense to stay on the floor. With an increased role expected this season, he has put himself into the mix for one of those open starting jobs, which is no small development on a team where lineup competition tends to be unforgiving. The Celtics do not need him to be a headline act, but he has started to look like someone who can make the decision harder than it was supposed to be. [Read more 🡒]
Hugo Gonzalez Is Giving Celtics A Real Rotation Question
Hugo Gonzalez didnt put up eye-popping numbers in his rookie season, but he still managed to leave a real impression inside the Celtics organization. Steve Bulpett, who has covered the team for years, pointed to Gonzalezs speed and court vision as traits that stood out, and the attention around him has only grown because of how much the Celtics seem to value his long-term upside. Even with limited playoff usage, he emerged as one of those young players who can quietly force his way into the conversation.
What makes Gonzalez worth watching now is how quickly that conversation could turn into a rotation issue. Former Celtics champions have reportedly taken an interest in his development, and his name surfacing in trade discussions is another sign the team sees real value there. With the upcoming season looming, Gonzalez appears set to compete for playing time rather than simply wait his turn, which gives Boston one more intriguing piece to sort through as it shapes the back end of the roster. [Read more 🡒]