"They've beaten Giannis & Middleton together" - Chris Broussard makes a sleeper pick to come out of the East this NBA postseason
Fox Sports NBA Analyst Chris Broussard has boldly predicted that the Boston Celtics will win the Eastern Conference this season. The Celtics are on a roll and there seems to be no stopping them right now. They are certainly one of the strongest teams in the NBA but not many analysts have picked them to win the conference.
However, Broussard has an optimistic take on the new-look Celtics. On the popular sports debate show "First Things First", Chris Broussard picked the Boston Celtics as the second-best team in the East after the Milwaukee Bucks. He said:
"Even though their stars are young, Jayson Tatum is 24 (and) Jaylen Brown is 25, they're tested. And that's the thing people are overlooking. They have played in the playoffs, both of them, four times. Both of them have been to two Eastern Conference Finals."
Many analysts haven't picked the Celtics to win the East because they are young. There is veteran and superstar talent on teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers so the Celtics are often overlooked when discussing championship credentials.
However, Chris Broussard believes that Boston's star duo of "The Jays", Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, are battle-tested even though they are young. He continued:
"Both of them have beaten Giannis and Khris Middleton...Both of them have beaten Joel Embiid, when he had Ben Simmons, in the playoffs. Both of them have taken LeBron James to a Game 7. There is not a team in the East that they're going to step on the floor and be like (shook)."
"The Celtics have a shot. Even though the Tatum & Brown are young, they're tested. That's what people are overlooking. They've been to the playoffs 4 times, the ECF twice & they've beaten Giannis & Middleton together. Both have beaten Embiid." — @Chris_Broussard https://t.co/JIKWtsHs4G
Chris Broussard emphasized on how the Jays have accomplished a lot in their young playoff career and can be trusted in high-pressure postseason moments.
He also mentioned that rookie head coach Ime Udoka deserves to win the NBA Coach of the Year award and would have been a frontrunner had coach Taylor Jenkins not turned around Memphis' season.
NBA analyst Kevin Wildes believes the Boston Celtics deserve their due credit
Fox Sports NBA analyst Kevin Wildes agrees with Chris Broussard and showers praise on the Boston Celtics. He brings up their record since the new year began and it speaks volumes by itself. They are 31-9 since January 1st, 2022 and rank 1st in the NBA in net rating since that date. After starting the season 18-21, they are now 47-28 as the 1st seed in the East.
They have consistently been the best-ranked defense in the second half of the season and along with the 3rd-best offense in the NBA. They are 9-2 against playoff teams since January 1st and have a whopping +15.4 points differential against those teams. Seven of those nine wins were double-digit victories and they are blowing away practically any roster they face.
Kevin Wildes spoke on "First Things First", and said:
"The Celtics are the real deal. So stop saying they're too young...Stop saying they have chemistry issues. This team is the real deal. They are winning games...by a lot...It's time to give them their flowers"
Celtics vs. Playoff Teams since 12/31:
Record: 9-2
PPG Diff: +15.4
10-Pt Wins: 7
"The Celtics are the real deal. Stop saying they're too young, that they have chemistry issues. They're winning games & winning them by a lot. It's time to give them their flowers." — @kevinwildes https://t.co/FOL9qgZdkn
The Boston Celtics have grabbed the 1st seed in the East and coach Ime Udoka might just get major votes for NBA Coach of the Year. If they hang on to the spot, they will play the winner of the second game of the NBA play-in tournament.
They have the 3rd-toughest schedule remaining in the league but it looks like they can handle strong teams with ease. They take on the Toronto Raptors on the road on Monday.