2018 NBA Playoffs: Power ranking all 16 teams

10. Boston Celtics

This may seem insultingly low for the No. 2 in the East that won 55 games mainly by doing what everyone’s doubting them for now — using depth and capable role players to overcoming a plethora of injuries to pretty much every single notable starter and bench piece. You can’t count out the league’s best defense, and this team should still be favored in the first round.

Still, we can’t act like the Boston Celtics aren’t the most vulnerable top seed in the East, especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo transforms into the Greek god of basketball and long limbs (a definite possibility). The Bucks’ inconsistency means Boston has a good chance of avoiding a first round upset, but the journey will most likely end in the conference semis against a red-hot Sixers side.

What can we say? Without Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis, this isn’t the same team on either end of the floor, no matter how guys like Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris and Greg Monroe have stepped up. Next year, with Kyrie and Gordon Hayward hopefully healthy, then it’ll be time to talk about the Celtics as more than a difficult out.