The Boston Celtics are by many accounts seen as the team most likely to win it all in 2023. But Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes has gone a step further, mapping out the entire 2023 NBA Playoffs from the first rounds of both the Eastern and Western Conferences all the way to picking a winner for the 2023 NBA Championship.
Hughes breaks down each potential matchup the Celtics and other postseason participants may face in detail, with Boston making a deep run yet again to the Finals, but let’s dive into whether the team achieves the goal of star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum of hanging his first (and Boston’s 18th) banner.
Fittingly, the path envisioned by Hughes for the Celtics is not unlike what they faced in 2022.
Celtics Lab 172: From the Celtics State of the Union to the Final Frontier with Sopan Deb https://t.co/dua7di8Aur
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 22, 2023
Round 1 - Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets
“Though the Nets have depth, the star-power vacuum created by the departures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving means we should expect at least a game or two in this series to look a lot like that early February blowout,” writes Hughes.
The freshly minted full head coach at the Salt Lake City All-Star game on the new title, the season so far, and the Celtics’ postseason expectations. https://t.co/xtXyPyToXE
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 22, 2023
“Maybe there’s more room for upset optimism if Spencer Dinwiddie or Mikal Bridges catches fire, but it’s not like the Celtics are short on shutdown options themselves.”
Prediction: Celtics in 5
East Semifinals - Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
“Dating back to last season, the Celtics have come away with wins in four of their six most recent meetings with Philadelphia, including the past three in a row,” notes the B/R analyst.
With superstars moving around the NBA ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline, the landscape of the league has shifted somewhat as we gear up for the stretch run and the postseason after it. https://t.co/by5Qj4Niiv
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 21, 2023
“For the Celtics to win, they simply need to attack Philadelphia’s defensive weak points, hit threes at respectable rates, and bask in the fact that they, unlike the Sixers, don’t have an obvious flaw to exploit,”
Prediction: Celtics in 7
East Finals - Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks
“It’s very often a mistake to pick a team that hasn’t been to the mountaintop over one that has, and Milwaukee’s 2021 championship gives it clout Boston lacks,” suggests Hughes.
With more help on the wing for the Bucks in Jae Crowder and Joe Ingles and more depth for the Celtics in Malcolm Brogdon, Blake Griffin, Mike Muscala, and maybe Danilo Gallinari, it remains to be s… https://t.co/yG24hTYKON
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 22, 2023
“We’re going with Boston anyway. It feels like it’s time for this group to break through after advancing at least as far as the conference finals in four of the past six postseasons.”
Prediction: Celtics in 7
NBA Finals: Boston Celtics vs. Phoenix Suns
“(W)hile Phoenix’s theoretical offensive excellence has been key to it advancing this far in our projections, it feels most likely that defense is going to determine this year’s champion,” opines the B/R analyst.
Is Joe Mazzulla the right coach for the Boston Celtics to win Banner 18? https://t.co/dvKjbZzqtn
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 22, 2023
“This will be a high-level, competitive series. But in addition to edges in shot profile and defensive integrity, it just feels like it’s time for Tatum and Boston to finally crest the hill.”
Prediction: Celtics in 7
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