Credit: Courtesy of Ken Chase

Staff Reporter Ben Jackson discusses his thoughts on the Boston Celtics’s ongoing season.

As of March 27, the Boston Celtics currently have the best record in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and it isn’t even close. After 72 games, they are 57-15 for the season, and, so far, are the only team to have secured a spot in the playoffs.

This isn’t a surprise considering how well All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been playing this season. Tatum is averaging 27.3 points per game, a career high 4.9 assists per game and 8.2 rebounds per game. Brown has been contributing 23.4 points per game, a career high 3.6 assists per game and 5.6 rebounds per game.

With the help of elite players like Derrick White and Al Horford, as well as new additions Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics have looked truly unstoppable. The regular season isn’t even over and they have already broken records, such as becoming the first NBA team to record three 50-point wins in one season.

Out of every team in the NBA this season, the Celtics have the best home record (32-3), the best away record (25-12), the best division record (15-1) and the best conference record (38-8). Stats like these make you wonder, what could prevent the Celtics from winning this year’s title? In my opinion, the answer is injuries. The Celtics are no stranger to injuries when trying to make a playoff run. For example, in the 2017-18 season, All-Star Kyrie Irving missed out on the playoffs after undergoing left-knee surgery, and All-Star Jaylen Brown’s 2020-21 season ended early after tearing a ligament in his left wrist.

This year, the Celtics have not had to deal with any major injuries yet, but that doesn’t mean they won’t. Porzingis has always been injury-prone and has already missed 22 games this season due to various injuries. Porzingis has never played more than 72 games in the regular season. And now that Al Horford is 37 years old, his health is much more of a concern. If Porzingis gets injured, would Al Horford be able to play 40 minutes a game instead of Porzingis?

This season, the Celtics have a 19-3 record without Porzingis playing, proving that they can still win without him. Backup players like Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta have both done a good job of stepping up when needed. Kornet has started five games this season and during them has averaged 10.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists. In the 26 games that Queta has played so far this season, he has averaged 4.1 rebounds and 0.6 blocks. Having players like Kornet and Queta that Head Coach Joe Mazzulla can count on when needed is ideal for a championship contender.

Another question that should be asked is, what team in the East can beat the Celtics? In my opinion, the answer is nobody. The Celtics are almost guaranteed to have home court advantage through the playoffs, with a 32-3 home record that plays to their favor. Their only home losses have been to the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, all of which are Western Conference teams. At home, the Celtics are 21-0 against fellow Eastern Conference teams. Why would they start losing come playoff time? As long as the Celtics are able to stay healthy and secure the number one seed, nothing will stop them from winning this year’s NBA Finals.