After losing against the Warriors last season in the Finals the Celtics are hungry. In the  2022-2023 season the Celtics are now ahead in the Eastern Conference with an impressive record of 35-14. They have undeniable talent within the Jays and when they both score a 30 piece they are 17-1. The two might just be the best duo in the league. 

Jayson Tatum is averaging 31 points per game, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, while Jaylen Brown is averaging 27 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. They not only have this, but their bench players have depth. Some of the Celtic’s bench includes Brogdon who has brought a lot of points from the bench. They also acquired Al Horford who has three point range and can work into the paint. 

The Celtics obviously have talent but so do other teams, including in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors. So how can the Celtics win the Finals?

They need to keep their turnovers down, NBC Sports and NBC Sports (2) mentions that they turned the ball over 100 times in the Warriors vs Celtics Finals last year. And this played into their downfall immensely. Current losses for the Celtics, the game against the Magic on Monday January 23rd the offense turned the ball over 18 times and ultimately led to the Celtics taking the loss. On the following day, the Celtics lost by 3 to the Heat, with a key turnover by Jayson Tatum in the final seconds.

The Celtics need to stay healthy. A key component to their team is Robert Williams III, a center who smashes the boards. Although he has a bad knee, keeping him healthy will be essential to this Celtics team. Not only is he important on offense, but also on defense protecting the basket with his height and strength. Celtics Insiders reported that as of January 15th 2023, the last 25 games that “Time Lord” started the Celtics have a 23-2 record from Robert Williams article.

Also, keeping Jayson Tatum healthy is essential to another banner. Currently he is dealing with a wrist injury and even though it is not an immediate huge deal, it is still a cause for concern. Fansided gives insight to fans that this could be bad for their playoff run, if Tatum is even slightly hurt, with the competition that comes with playoffs. Resting Jayson for a few games might be a good idea with his ongoing injury. 

Another key component to this Celtics team is keeping their defense at an elite level. Marcus Smart was awarded with defensive player of the year last year. Inside the Celtics alludes to that defense is very important when in a shooting slump, which can happen a lot for the C’s. The Celtics were second in defensive rating in December, and are the first rated for January. If they can remain consistent on defense, it will be easier to win against better teams. Rather than playing hero ball in the fourth quarter from JT, which was seen in the January 26th loss to the Knicks.  

Overall the Celtics are playing high level basketball, if they keep up their pace and stamina within the regular season, they should be able to get the first seed. This will make their playoff run considerably easier. In order to get there, the team needs to stay healthy, play elite level defense, and keep turnovers to a minimum. This team chemistry is vibrant and getting a win this year will boost their confidence from last year’s loss. The Celtics are looking like the team to beat this year.