"Does Boston beat Milwaukee with Khris Middleton on the court? I don't know" - Former Chicago Bulls player believes other teams will still fancy their chances next season despite a Boston Celtics title win this year
NBA and Eastern Conference powerhouse, the Boston Celtics are currently battling the Golden State Warriors in a tough NBA Finals 2022 series. The fifth game of the series will take place on Monday (June 13(.
Jay Williams spoke about the possibility of the Celtics winning the championship on ESPN's morning show First Take. The former NBA player believes this won't be a new era if Boston wins the title this year. He believes that the rest of the teams are still very much in contention next season to win the championship. Williams said:
"Nothing. I think Boston has arrived as a team that will be here for a long period of time. But I think for the rest of the league, rest of the league feels like the door is still open. Does Boston beat Milwuakee with Khris Middleton on the court? I don't know. Im not talking about what the Clippers could be next year with Kawhi and PG. We're not talking about what Memphis could be and Golden State."
As mentioned, the series is level going into Game 5. Boston have been performing exceedingly well on the road in the postseason this year and will look to have a bounceback performance to have the chance to seal the victory at home in Game 6.
What would a Celtics title mean to the rest of the teams in the NBA?
@RealJayWilliams 🗣️ Nothing. https://t.co/EU7MEL3OZc
Boston Celtics' road to the NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics overcame the Miami Heat in seven games to progress to the NBA Finals beforeeeting the Golden State Warriors. They also beat the defending champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, in the previous round in seven games.
The Celtics' suffocating defense continued to wreak havoc as they added Miami to their casualty list. They beat the Bucks in the semifinals and swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. Led by Marcus Smart, their ability to switch on defense is of the utmost importance to the way they play.
Also Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have shown they can co-exist, giving them the offensive push they needed. One can take over the game when the other is not at his best.
Jaylen Brown had a series just as good as Tatum did against the Miami Heat. He could have easily won the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy, which is given out to the Eastern Conference finals MVP. Brown poured in 40 points in Game 3 as he averaged 24.1 points per game in the series.
Giving credit where credit is due, coach Ime Udoka's tough, defensive-oriented schemes have gotten the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals. Early on in the season, there were rumors of unrest between the first-year coach and the players. That now seems a distant memory.