The Eastern Conference Is Weak
With the regular season coming to a close, a deep playoff run for the Celtics looks extremely possible. The Eastern Conference is much weaker than the West, with only a few teams at most that could make it to the finals. Boston, at full strength, is the best team in the East. The only teams they should be concerned about in a seven-game series are the Detroit Pistons, Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers in a seven-game series.
Boston is the two seed, finishing with a 56-26 record. In round one, the Celtics will face the winner of the Philadelphia 76ers-Orlando Magic play-in game. These two teams shouldn’t give them much trouble at all. After round one, things start to get tricky. Potential matchups against the Knicks and Pistons in the second round and ECF would be a good test. Both series are losable for the Celtics, but they are the better team.
