The Boston Celtics are up 2-0 in their best-of-7 series against the Indiana Pacers. They’re 10-2 so far in the playoffs, and as the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they were expected to make it to the NBA Finals and compete for a ring once again.
However, the run they’re on has been considered to be the easiest in NBA history since the playoffs expanded in 2003. First they played the Miami Heat after they played two Play-In games and were without superstar Jimmy Butler. They won that series in 5 games. Then, they played the Cleveland Cavaliers without center Jarrett Allen and without Donovan Mitchell for the last 2 games of the series. The Celtics won that series in 5 games as well. Now, star point guard Tyrese Haliburton hurt his hamstring and may miss time in this series. The Celtics struggled in Game 1 but managed to win and blew out the Pacers in Game 2.
So, while their dominance has been expected, they haven’t exactly had a major challenge. Of course, injuries go both ways. Center Kristaps Porzingis hurt his calf in their first round series against the Heat. Teams have to overcome injuries all the time. However, perhaps it’s better to ask if any of this really matters.
It’s widely regarded that the Raptors don’t win the NBA Finals if Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant don’t get hurt in the NBA Finals. You know what that means? The Raptors were 2018-2019 NBA Champions! Simply put, the Celtics are in a great position to win the Finals. The Western Conference was loaded this season. So loaded, in fact, that the top 2 seeds, including the reigning NBA Champions, lost in the 2nd round!
Winning is hard enough. All-time greats would struggle for years to get back to the top. It may feel better when you beat the best teams at full strength, but it doesn’t take away anything from the Celtics if they win the championship this year. All championships are equal! They’ll be set in immortality if they win the championship this year, and rightfully so.