If history is anything to go by, this could finally be the year that Boston raise up championship banner no. 18. The Boston Celtics will end the 2023-24 regular season with fewer than 20 losses for the first time since 2008-09. Expectations are high as the Celtics are favorites to win the NBA title with consistently dominant performances. Boston’s lineup strength and depth, plus consistency make them one of the strongest contenders.The Boston Celtics are looking to win their first NBA championship – and 18th in total – since the 2007-08 season, and based on their sheer dominance against the rest of the league this season, journalist Mark Medina believes they are the outright favorites to win the title as we approach the post-season.League DominationWill end season with 20 losses or fewer for first time since 2008-09Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum Kristaps Porzingis Jaylen Brown Boston CelticsGood fortune could favor the Celtics if history is anything to go by. The last time that the Boston outfit amassed fewer than 20 losses in a regular season campaign, you’d have to cast your mind back all the way back to the 2007-08 season, when they lost only 16 times.They would then go on a historic post-season run all the way to winning their 17th NBA title, which at the time, was the most ever by an NBA franchise, before later being tied by their rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, when they went back-to-back in 2009 and 2010, before hoisting up the Larry O’Brien trophy once again in 2020 to equal 17 championship banners.Currently, they stand with 17 losses, but with only two games remaining, they will be the only team to reach the sub-20 losses mark, with their closest matches coming from teams in the Western Conference, with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets each tied with 24 losses so far.Boston Celtics – 2023-24 Advanced StatisticsCategoryStatisticLeague RankPTS120.42ndOPP PTS109.15thORTG122.21stDRTG110.52ndNRTG11.71stBut how exactly have the C’s dominated the league this season?Well, the answer put simply is new faces, team health, and star-studded firepower.Having posed arguably the best starting line-up in the league all season long, led by their powerhouse duo of Jaylen Brown, and MVP candidate Jayson Tatum, along with the recruitments of All-Stars Kristaps Porzingis and defensive guard Jrue Holiday, the Celtics have looked a much more balanced team across all facets of their roster than in previous years.Add to that the understated rise of Derrick White, who is widely viewed as one of the entire Association’s most underrated players this season, even by his own teammates, and Boston have been no match for any of the opposition.With all those factors combined, the Celtics have been, by far, the most efficient team in the league this season, having outscored their opponents by 11.7 points per 100 possessions, almost double the next best team, the Timberwolves, who have only a net efficiency rating of 6.8.Expectation That the Celtics Will Reach the FinalsMedina places the expectations on the Celtics to be the Eastern Conference representative in the Finals at the very least, arguing that they’ve been one of the most consistent teams in the league all season with their stellar offense and starting line-up.The journalist further goes on to highlight the improvements surrounding Boston’s stars, as well as addressing the importance of Porzingis entering the fold this season, and Holiday’s integral defense – replacing the departed Marcus Smart – on the team’s overall success.“The Celtics are the favorite to win the NBA title. They’ve had clear separation in the Eastern conference standings. They’ve certainly had hiccups, but for the most part, they’ve been pretty consistent. Their offensive chemistry is really good, they have one of the best offenses and starting lineups in the league.Jayson Tatum’s become more of an efficient playmaker. He’s reduced his shots for the sake of team ball. Same thing with Jaylen Brown, and the common denominator of why that’s happened is Kristaps Porzingis – a great floor spacer, another great shooter, and he’s been mostly healthy. The concern going into this season was how they would replace Marcus Smart, and Jrue Holiday has been able to fill in that gap pretty well.So barring injuries, I expect that they’ll get to the NBA Finals, and possibly win the championship.”Strength in DepthOne of their most efficient five-man line-ups in the league is filled with unexpected namesJayson Tatum, Al Horford and Jaylen BrownHaving one of the best starting line-ups in the NBA, it comes as no surprise that as a five-man unit, they rank top two in the league for net efficiency, with the five of Tatum, Brown, Holiday, Porzingis and White outscoring their opponents by 12.0 points per 100 possessions. Only the Denver Nuggets’ starting line-up is more efficient, as evidenced by their 13.5 net rating.Not only that, but they have also been one of the healthiest five-man line-ups this season, one of only six teams to have amassed more than 600 minutes on-court as a unit, playing 606 total minutes together, the sixth-most, with the Nuggets once again leading the way (895 minutes), though the Celtics are the only Eastern Conference team to achieve such a feat.Tatum, Brown, Holiday, Porzingis, and White – Five-Man Line-Up Advanced StatsCategoryStatisticMINS606ORTG121.2DRTG109.2NRTG12.0AST%61.0REB%51.6TS%63.1PIE56.8Furthermore, of line-ups to have played together on 30 or more occasions throughout the season, the Celtics’ rotation has also been majorly efficient, with a line-up comprised of Tatum and Holiday, alongside veteran, and former five-time All-Star, Al Horford, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser outscoring their opponents by 17.2 points per 100 possessions, the fourth-best figure in the NBA this season.With their strength running deep throughout the rotation, it is no surprise that the Celtics have had the best home record this season, having lost only three contests out of a possible 38 at home for a 92 percent win rate, while their other 14 losses have all come on the road. The Celtics have lost only 3 games to teams under .500 the entire season.So, having locked up home-court advantage for the duration of their post-season campaign – an achievement they have acknowledged, but have not taken for granted – while they will still need every member of their roster to play their own roles to perfection, the sixth man of the TD Garden could become integral in their quest for championship banner number 18.But, based on their stellar 2023-24 regular season campaign, this Boston team looks as though they are just built differently from seasons past, and as such, they look all but firmly poised to become the recipients of the 2024 NBA championship, should all things bode well in their inevitable deep post-season run.All statistics courtesy of Statmuse, ESPN, NBA.com and Basketball Reference.Kerrie started writing about WWE, boxing and football before joining the North American Sports team, where her role requires her to regularly conduct interviews with NBA journalists, and subsequently generate engaging, exclusive content that align with the top stories in and around the Association.Through GMS, Kerrie covered the 2023 NFL London Games in a reporting role, gaining access to some of the most popular teams, athletes and coaches in the sport, including the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson, Odell Beckham Jr., and Josh Allen, to name a few. She also conducted exclusive interviews with Ex-NFL Pro Bowlers, including former Bills running back Fred Jackson, and San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle, Joe Staley.Her sporting interests mainly lie within North American Sports, where she has an affinity for the Los Angeles Lakers, Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Dodgers, but she is also hugely into F1 and all things football, regularly attending Tottenham Hotspur, Women’s Super League, and England/Lionesses games, including the memorable UEFA Women’s Euro 22 Final. Username: ShumayePassword: ZlanTan2024
