Brad Stevens Still Not Putting Ceiling On Celtics Ahead Of NBA Playoffs originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The NBA Playoffs start next week, and with the regular season winding down, the Boston Celtics are in a good spot.
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After beating the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, the Celtics are 54-25 and have won 11 of their last 13 games. With one more win or New York Knicks loss, they’ll clinch the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Boston’s already clinched a playoff berth, so the only question now is how far they will go. The Celtics are favored to win the Eastern Conference and have the third-best championship odds at FanDuel Sportsbook behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
Time will tell what happens over the next two months. But for now, Boston’s president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, isn’t putting a ceiling on them.
“I said this when I was coaching all the time. I’d never put a ceiling on any team,” Stevens said during his press conference on Tuesday. “I’m excited to see what this team has in store. I know Joe’s excited.”
The Celtics have come a long way since the start of the season, enjoying tremendous growth under Joe Mazzulla. Now that they have Jayson Tatum back, they’re peaking at the perfect time heading into the postseason.
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While Stevens is excited, he knows from years of experience that anything can happen in the playoffs.
“When we get into the playoffs, it’ll be the same thing. It’s one game at a time. I don’t think in terms of the big picture as far as this individual team,” Stevens continued. “I know that we can play. I’ve seen us rise and meet challenges, and I know that this team’s looking forward to the next one.”
Boston’s overcome a lot this year, proving its resilience and toughness throughout the season. That should help them in the postseason, but getting out of the East and potentially winning the Finals won’t be easy.
“As you get into this time of year and you get into the playoffs, everything’s hard and the other teams are really good,” Stevens added. “We’ll see where it all stats out, but I’m gonna continue to not put a ceiling on us.”
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