Boston Celtics NBA championship hopes outlined ahead of Warriors showdown
The Boston Celtics are perfectly poised to win a first NBA championship since 2008 thanks to the offseason additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
Sixteen years after their last title, the Celtics sit atop the Eastern Conference. Armed with superstar Jayson Tatum and fellow All-Star sidekick Jaylen Brown, Boston are cruising towards the postseason with the franchise winning each of their last 10 games.
Back when Brian Scalabrine was with the Celtics, the front office made several monumental moves. With LeBron James’ powers getting ever-stronger and his Cleveland Cavaliers becoming a great threat in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics motioned to create a superteam with 2004 MVP Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joining Paul Pierce in green - so for Scalabrine, the similarities are clear.
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“The addition of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett at that stage in their careers, two individuals that had success, was crucial as they wanted to win,” Scalabrine exclusively told Mirror Sport. “Jrue Holiday has won a championship but Kristaps Porzingis is really in that mold. He’s had a ton of individual success and he’s going to make lots of money playing basketball, but now he wants to be a champion.
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“[Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown, even Paul Pierce or LeBron James, have fallen short but understand that sometimes you have to fail to win. You have to understand what it takes.”
Not many are more excited by the Celtics’ impressive form than Scalabrine, who spent five seasons with the franchise. He understands what it takes to win and pointed to a similar intangible trait possessed by the 2023-24 team.
“In 2008, we could be so bad offensively and win the game because our defense was so good,” Scalabrine said. “This Celtics team has a really good defense, but their offense is spectacular. They’re not just shooting threes or posting up and going inside, but driving and kicking and moving the ball. All of it. They could have a very average day and still win games.
“In the NBA, a lot of it comes down to if you’re playing your best, you’re going to win - but the Celtics, like us in 2008, could not play well and still win games. That’s the biggest similarity between the two teams, but in terms of personalities, it’s very, very different. We were insane. We were highly competitive to the point that every day was like a war.”
Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined the Boston Celtics and won the NBA championship in their first season (Getty Images)Scalabrine suggested the Celtics have also learned that to win hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the right traditions and mentality must be learned throughout the entire season. He added: “Meaningless games in February, where you learn traits and mentality, can come back to bite you in the playoffs. Last year, the Celtics turned the ball over a lot during the regular season - yeah, it didn’t matter at the time, but those turnovers killed them come the playoffs. They’re also more aware of the importance of home-court advantage this season. They’re all lessons.
“We’re either winning or we’re learning. When you lose, and you really want to win a championship, you do some soul-searching and get better for it. This team’s shortcomings along the way, bearing in mind they reached the Conference Finals and NBA Finals, have helped them know what is needed.”
On Sunday night, the Celtics take on the Golden State Warriors - the former dynasty aware of exactly what it takes to go all the way - in a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals. After Boston won the first two games, Steph Curry inspired the Warriors to four successive wins to secure the fourth title of his career. Scalabrine hopes the Celtics have learned from their mistakes, namely turnovers, of two years ago.
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals (Getty Images)“He can be a polarising figure, but Draymond Green does a really good job of moving his feet, making the correct decisions and playing physical against the Celtics,” Scalabrine said. “He likes to get handsy and speed us up. When we’re at our best, we handle it and don’t turn the ball over. But at our worst, we play fast and turn the ball over.
“If we don’t turn the ball over 17, 18, 19 times, we will beat the Warriors. But there’s always going to be a moment where we turn the ball over and an all-time great in Steph Curry just develops a superpower; it feels like we speed up, turnover, Curry three. Speed up, turnover, Curry three. Speed up, turnover, Curry gets doubled so he finds a teammate for an open layup.
“We have to limit turnovers if we are going to win this game, and we have to handle our turnovers if the Celtics are going to win a championship.”
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Sunday March 3 rd - Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics Sunday at 8:30 pm on BBC Three
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