The Boston Celtics have been having a tremendous season.
With an NBA-best record of 48-13, Boston leads the Eastern Conference by eight games, making it a virtual certainty that they will have home-court advantage throughout the NBA Playoffs.
Thursday night on Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley made it known that he thinks anything besides a title would be a disappointment for Boston.
https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1765909067707637868
“If they don’t win the championship this year, it would be a total gag job,” Barkley said. “You got Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, they’re two of the 10 best players in the league. You got a great leader in Jrue Holliday. Kristaps Porzingis is probably the best guy that’s not a number one or number two guy in the NBA. I will be shocked if the Celtics don’t win,” he added.
Boston has made the Eastern Conference Finals five times since the 2016-17 season, but are just 1-4 in those series. Their lone series win resulted in an NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors.
“Other than the Celtics, there’s not a single team in the East that scares you. … [The Bucks have] Giannis and Dame but nobody fears them because they don't have a lot of athletic ability.”
Chuck on the Eastern Conference playoff race pic.twitter.com/Jb0ZCfFRRc
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 8, 2024
Despite their recent woes, Barkley thinks this year’s team won’t be challenged by anyone in the East in the playoffs.
“Other than the Celtics, there’s not a single team that scares you. Milwaukee has Giannis and Dame, but nobody fears them. They don’t have a lot of athletic ability. The Knicks don’t look like they’re going to get healthy. and my Sixers are struggling without Joel Embiid.”
[Photo Credit: TNT, NBA on TNT]
About Robert O'Neill