The Boston Celtics are considered one of the teams who can win the NBA championship this season. After winning the title last year, they have continued to play some really good basketball this year.
Boston is the second seed in the Eastern Conference right now. They will likely be locked into that seed, barring some epic collapse at the end of the year.
The only team ahead of them is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have been the best team in the East all year long. Still, the Celtics think they can beat them when the playoffs roll around.
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Not everyone thinks they have a chance to win the title, though. One NBA insider believes that one thing will hold them back from being able to go back-to-back.
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report believes that a lack of home-court advantage throughout the playoffs will keep them from winning it all.
Cleveland will hold that advantage in the playoffs throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. They hold the best home record in the entire NBA.
Believers in the Cavs point to that record as a big reason why they should be considered the favorites to come out of the East instead of the Celtics. It's hard to argue.
Boston also hasn't been healthy for most of the season. They have had at least one of their starters out for a lot of their big-time matchups.
They haven't been able to keep all of their starters out on the court for a sustained period of time in order to gain momentum. The Celtics believe that if they have all of their guys healthy for a playoff series, no one can beat them.
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Boston has to find a way to get Kristaps Porzingis back on the court for the stretch run. If he can stay healthy from now until the end of the playoffs, they have a real shot to go back-to-back.
Cleveland might not be the only team they have to worry about, though. New York, Indiana, and Milwaukee are really good, too.
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