Apr 14, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) works the ball against Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross (31) in the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors 95-93. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Boston Celtics
By Bobby Bourhis
Record: 40-42
First Round Opponent: Cleveland Cavaliers
Season Series: Tied 2-2
The Boston Celtics clinched the 7th seed, with a buzzer-beating victory over the Toronto Raptors. They will be facing off against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. The Cavs are favored by many to reach the NBA Finals, and are therefore heavily favored to beat the Celtics in this first round matchup.
The Celtics’ roster lacks the traditional star-power that most playoff teams possess. What they do have, however, is a considerable amount of depth at each position.
At point guard, the Celtics use Marcus Smart in the starting lineup and Isaiah Thomas as a spark off the bench. Thomas is one of the best bench players in the NBA, and he holds a lot of value in the playoffs because of his ability to create matchup issues for the opposition. Thomas’ role is similar to Manu Ginobili’s in San Antonio, or Ben Gordon’s in Chicago back in 2005-08.
At shooting guard, the Celtics have one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, in Avery Bradley. Facing the Cavaliers, it is likely that Bradley will be defending Kyrie Irving more often than not. Backing up Bradley is Jae Crowder.
Crowder is more of a small forward, but due to Evan Turner‘s offensive versatility, Crowder is able to fill in as the first wing player off the bench. Crowder has had an inconsistent year, but is fresh off of a game winning shot against the Raptors, and should be going into the playoffs with a lot of confidence.
Jared Sullinger, who is the normal starting power forward for the Celtics, went out in February with what was supposed to be a season ending foot injury. Instead, Sullinger has slowly worked his way back into the lineup. It is unclear what his role is going to be like in the playoffs, but perhaps he will be used off the bench for around 20 mpg. With his time on the court limited, the Celtics will turn to a combination of Brandon Bass and Jonas Jerebko at power forward. Jerebko is more of a perimeter player who can stretch the floor, while Bass is the better defender and rebounder.
At center the Celtics have been splitting time between Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Zeller. Zeller is a more traditional center, in that he has good size and is a solid rebounder. Offensively, Zeller is inconsistent, and is not somebody that Boston relies upon night in and night out. Olynyk is more of a power forward, because of his shooting ability and mobility for the center position. He tends to get bullied in the post by stronger players, and can be exploited defensively.
Overall the Celtics shouldn’t have much of a chance against the Cavaliers, who have been virtually unbeatable over the last half of the season. What the Celtics need is a consistent number one scorer, and a better wing defender than Evan Turner. While it is difficult for any team to match up against LeBron James, at least some teams have a chance to slow him down.
Golden State has Andre Iguodala, the Clippers have Matt Barnes, Toronto has DeMar DeRozan, and the Hawks have DeMarre Caroll. The Celtics certainly have a defensive stopper in Avery Bradley, but he is several inches smaller than the guys listed above, and that limits him to defending point guards and shooting guards. Boston will have to rely on Jae Crowder and Evan Turner to defend James, and that alone will lose them the series.
Cleveland should take care of the C’s in five games.
Next: The Nets