Information as of Nov. 27, 2023, and Nov. 20, 2023
It’s game seven of the NBA finals. Forward Jayson Tatum has the ball just before halfcourt with 10 seconds left in the game as he plans his next move. He gets a screen from center Kristaps Porzingus to get the matchup he wants. Tatum crosses over, shoots a stepback three. The ball floats in the air for what seems like forever. All the fans have their phones out recording it. Tatum slowly runs back, hoping the shot goes in, and he drills it at the buzzer. The Boston Celtics win the finals.
Although this moment hasn’t happened yet, let’s talk about why it is well on its way to happening. The Celtics are the best team in the NBA this year because they have the best starting lineup, the best point differential, and the best home-court advantage and fans.
The Celtics have the best starting lineup in the NBA. They have four All-Stars in their starting lineup. Point guard Jrue Holiday was an All-Star last year, small forward Jaylen Brown made the All-Star team last year and All-NBA second team, power forward Jayson Tatum made All-NBA first team and the All-Star game and is in the MVP conversation, center Kristaps Porzingus made the All-Star game in 2018 and averaged 23 ppg last season. Finally, shooting guard Derrick White was an All-NBA defensive second team. Each person brings something unique and different to the team. Holiday and White bring intense perimeter defense, and passing and shooting. Brown and Tatum are the two biggest stars who bring all-around scoring and also play good defense, and lastly, Porzingus brings very good interior defense and shooting.
Another reason why the Celtics starting lineup is the best in the NBA is because they are 9-1 when their starters have played this year. As of Nov. 20, 2023 the Celtics starting lineup has played 176 minutes and have a point differential of +104! This means they have outscored their opponents with their starters on the court by 104! The second-best in the league is +62. The Celtics also generate 124.1 points per 100 possessions and are shooting 66.6%. That is unheard of.
What’s perfect about the Celtics lineup is that everyone is in or around their prime. Also, every NBA team has someone who can’t space the floor because they can’t shoot, but every starting player on the Celtics can space the floor because every single one of them can shoot, and their best shooter might be their 7-foot-2 center!
The Celtics’ net rating is the best in the NBA and are top 10 in both points scored and points allowed. The Celtics’ net rating, which is how much you outscore your opponents by this season as of November 27, is 8.6, which is the highest in the league. They have also scored the eighth most points in the league, averaging 115.8 points per game. They are also the fourth-best defense in the league allowing just 107.3 points per game. The Celtics are one of two teams who are top 10 in both offense and defense.
They are also doing this against good teams. The Celtics have played the tenth hardest schedule as of Wednesday, Nov. 29, to start the year in the NBA so far. For example, the Celtics beat the Knicks who are fifth in the Eastern Conference right now by 16. They also beat the 76ers, who are second in the east by 10 on the road, and they beat the Pacers who are sixth in the east by 51!
The last reason why the Celtics are the best team in the league is because they have the biggest home-court advantage in the league. The Celtics are one of if not the best team in the NBA at home this year. They are 7-0 so they have a 1.000% win percentage. They average 122.6 ppg at home, and outscore their opponents by 17.9 a game at home. That is the second-best start to a season of all time.
They also have the best and most diehard fans in the league. In an NBA player voting poll according to Boston.com more than 100 anonymous NBA players said the Celtics have the best fans. And TD garden (Celtics stadium) pulled in 18% of the votes, leading the league. One NBA player said, “I think the league knows that he’s good but you don’t hear about him other than Celtics fans,” one player said about Derrick White. Proving that the Celtics fans love their team and try to make their players well-known and respected.
Given all of the evidence, it is pretty easy to say the Celtics are the best team in the NBA. We have never really seen something like this. Their starting lineup is filled with stars and playmakers and shooters. They have the highest net rating and have a top-10 offense and defense. Lastly, they are just dominating at home this year to levels we haven’t seen in years and have the best and most passionate fans. This is why the 2023-24 Boston Celtics will dominate the game to the highest levels and go on to win the NBA Finals!
