The Boston Celtics will face the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. They will enter that series as the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in June. However, the Celtics have received criticism regarding their path to the Finals, as every team they’ve faced has been missing its best player for a stretch of games.
As such, some fan base members are now questioning whether Boston’s current roster has endured a more difficult route than the 2008 team. During a recent appearance on WEEI’s “Jones and Mego,” former Celtics champion and current commentator Brian Scalabrine weighed in on the discussion, noting how the 2008 team had the harder path to a championship.
“When you look at like 20-point wins and stuff like that, for sure, [the 2024 Celtics] have more of a dominant run, but I just think our path was much harder,” Scalabrine said. “I don’t know. I hate doing that, because it makes me sound like I’m old, like one of these old players on a podcast just complaining about how good we were. I don’t want to come across like that. But you guys are underrating our path. Our path was much tougher.”
Regardless of which roster had a more difficult path, Celtics fans will undoubtedly be hopeful that both are remembered for being champions. After all, history won’t remember the route this team took, only that they ended the season as the best team in the world.
Celtics Lab 263: Breaking down the many narratives of a Dallas Mavericks – Boston Celtics NBA finals https://t.co/Liaoeo6cCN pic.twitter.com/ISa2glKAv1
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 31, 2024
Before that happens, the Celtics must overcome Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. If they can do that, there should be no reason to question Boston’s path to this year’s championship.
After all, the Mavericks have navigated a perilous Western Conference to get here.
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