When the Cleveland Cavaliers started their season with a 15-game unbeaten run, analysts predicted they would end up stopping the Boston Celtics. The Cavs then went on to lose their 16th game to the reigning champions. That reestablished the other notion: how no team in the league is equipped to stop the Lucky Greens. Post-Christmas predictions have swung things back in the favor of the Cavaliers, who are four games ahead of the Celtics. Two-time NBA champion Norris Cole has declared that they pose a very real threat to Boston, while naming guard Donovan Mitchell as the X factor in the mix.
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Cole said that the Cleveland roster’s depth makes them formidable. Not only do they have two very dominant big men in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but their All-Star guard Mitchell in in great form too. Mitchell has averaged 23.6 points this season while proving invaluable in other departments as well. He has 4.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
“Right now, I will say Cleveland Cavaliers are the bigger threat. They have length to protect the basket in Mobley and Allen. They have perimeter three-point shooting. They have a superstar Donovan Mitchell to go up against Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, but their bench. They have a lot of scoring to come off the bench to go along with their defense,” explained Cole on ESPN.
The former Miami Heat point guard added that the Cavs’ hunger to win puts them above other competitors. While it’s true that the Cavaliers boast a wealth of talent, experience matter too. The Celtics, with a heady mix of youth and seasoned players, are a classic example of this.
The Cavs are 1-1 against the Celtics this season, and are purring like a well-oiled engine. But the Celtics are one of the most lethal teams in the league on both ends.
Coach Joe Mazzulla is spoilt for choice when it comes to talent whom he can send to complement stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. That includes Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. Challengers would have a hard time upstaging them as champions.
Which other teams can threaten the Celtics?
Apart from Cleveland, there are only two other teams that can possibly hope to stop the Celtics juggernaut. The New York Knicks, who were touted early in pre-season as one of the biggest threats, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Knicks are only two games behind the Greens. And with Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns becoming the hottest duo in the league, there’s an air of confidence in the team too. If they manage to stay healthy, their roster is talented enough to at least take the Celtics to seven games.
Out on the other coast, the Thunder boast a 24-5 record, which is better than the Boston side. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has found a new gear and is averaging 31.1 points. Young stars Jalen Williams and Lu Dort are two-way beasts. And offseason acquisition, Isaiah Hartenstein, has seamlessly fit with the team. They have done well without Chet Holmgren. That hints at how devastating they can be with all their stars on the court.
Still, the Celtics remain the favorites to lift the Larry O’Brien again. But there is no doubt that their path to the top is bound to be much tougher than it was last year, thanks to how the Cavaliers have shaped up this season.
