SPORTS: OPINION: Celtics could be on top this year if they don’t choke

Sports Column

By Vicente Mendoza
Sports Editor
Published Tuesday, April 2, 2024

We are midway through the NBA season, and there has been a good amount of ups and downs throughout the season for all of the teams. As I write this, there have not been two teams that stand out as favorites for the NBA Finals.

Powerhouse teams you would expect to dominate the NBA, such as the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks, have struggled throughout this season. This season, it’s difficult to predict a clear winner, but I would have to choose the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics are the top team in the Eastern Conference, as well as the top team in the NBA with a record of 43-12. The Celtics have dominated teams for most of the season, and have shown they should be one of the favorites to be this year’s NBA champions.

For one, this team is elite at home with a 30-6 record. The team showed they will not lose at home, for the most part. The home games they lost came mainly from starters’ injuries, but when this team is healthy, they will play like one of the best teams in the league. When the starters play, they typically beat their opponents by more than double digits.

This starting lineup is possibly the best in the league and can take anyone on the road.

The one problem I have for this team is the possible downfall during this year’s playoffs. In past years, the Celtics showed they can be best-in-league; however, when it’s time to step up, they fail to deliver results.

Since 2016, the Celtics have gone to the conference finals five times and the finals once. But each time they were bounced by inferior teams or ran into Lebron in the playoffs. This team can definitely make the push to win this year’s NBA Finals, but who will step up for them to get over the hump to win the championship?