Without a doubt, the Boston Celtics are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference right now. But if NBA analyst Austin Rivers is to be believed, Jayson Tatum’s team needs to counteract their weaknesses if they want to win a championship this year.
As seen in their recent 119-94 win against the Detroit Pistons, the East’s number one team has what it takes to put on a dominant performance, even without the All-Star forward as the offensive focal point. In that game, Jaylen Brown stepped up and posted 31 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Derrick White had a triple-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Payton Pritchard added 23 points and seven assists.
On the other hand, the Detroit Pistons had Jaden Ivey’s 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists. James Wiseman tallied 12 points and five rebounds from the bench in the Pistons’ 56th loss this season.
The Celts are currently on top of the Eastern Conference with 54 wins and 14 losses, the best in the NBA right now. Their offense is first in the league while the team’s defense is second among 30 teams this season.
Austin Rivers Drops Harsh Championship Reality on Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
At this point in time, Beantown has a pretty strong chance to reach the NBA Finals. But according to Austin Rivers, they are facing a harsh reality before they can win it all in the postseason.
Can Jayson Tatum finally capture his first title this season? 👀 @AustinRivers25 keeps it real about the Boston Celtics 😤 pic.twitter.com/UC9qf2rzO9
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 20, 2024
Rivers makes a good argument against Beantown in the playoffs. If the All-Star forward doesn’t learn how to close games out properly, teams like the Miami Heat or New York Knicks may shock everyone by eliminating the Celts early in the postseason.
The regular season has less than a month to go before the playoffs start. Hopefully, the team has learned from their mistakes in the past make a meaningful run at the championship this year.
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