Hoops Habit
Fansided

Playing ‘Contender or Pretender’ With Eastern Conference Playoff Teams

By Jon Shames

Nov 22, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball as Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) defends in the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball as Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) defends in the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 4, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) reacts during the second half of a game against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) reacts during the second half of a game against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /

Boston Celtics – 3rd seed

The Boston Celtics are the darlings of the East right now, headed by two likable guys in Isaiah Thomas and head coach Brad Stevens. They’ve won 38 games already, and have a real shot at cracking the 50-win mark. In a first-round series against Charlotte, a sweep is a foreseeable outcome.

But even with all of that, you cannot call this Boston team a contender.

Sure, they execute on both ends of the court. They play physically. They generate offense from designed plays, rather than isolation sets. And yes, they’ve had some convincing wins over top-tier teams. But the playoffs is a different animal, and Boston takes far too many risks to be considered a title threat.

They run a fast-paced offense that’s three-pointer-heavy, and their bail-out shots in halfcourt sets are midrange attempts, rather than looks inside. Defensively, they throw traps and switch on everything.

While they do communicate well defensively, their scheme and lack of size leaves them prone to surrendering offensive rebounds, which would be a major issue against the oversized front lines of both Toronto and Cleveland.

They can pull off a first-round win against Charlotte, but playing Toronto in the second round would be a tough feat to pull off, even for a team that’s defied all odds up until this point.

Verdict: Pretender

Prediction: First-round win vs. Charlotte (4-1); Second-round loss vs. Toronto (4-1)

Next: Toronto Raptors