The Boston Celtics have slipped a bit in the eyes of some NBA analysts with their recent losses to the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks. Losing their top spot in Bleacher Report’s weekly power rankings as a result even with the team’s recent overtime win over the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves.
Citing the Celtics’ embarrassing loss to the Bucks fresh off their triumph over the T-Wolves the night before, B/R’s Andy Bailey writes that given “the schedule-based context, the result shouldn’t raise too many alarms.” Still, Boston’s domination at the hands of Milwaukee “was a reminder (the Celtics are) far from invincible.”
“The top of the East features multiple teams, including the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, that could beat the Celtics in a given game (or series),” bailey goes as far as saying.
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We would not go quite that far just yet given our limited returns (and mutual blowouts) of the Bucks vs. Boston, but there is a chance that none of the better teams in the East look the same post-trade deadline regardless.
So, even with the Celtics looking like the best club in the league despite a few recent stumbles, we feel Bailey is right to demote Boston for the week given they have shown a patch of soft underbelly in need of hardening.
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