The Boston Celtics are the oddsmakers’ favorite to go the distance and win the NBA championship this season.
Notably, Stephen A. Smith seems to agree with that.
.@stephenasmith has the Celtics as the favorite to win it all 🏆 pic.twitter.com/eSN3t75YD6
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 16, 2023
The often-controversial pundit didn’t want to take anything away from the Denver Nuggets, and he cited that the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers also have strong arguments to win it all this season.
However, he believes the Celtics have something no other team in the league currently has, which is five guys on the floor that can hold their own on the defensive end of the floor.
Per Smith, the Celtics don’t need to double-team, as all of their starters can guard their man on every possession, just like Chuck Daly’s Detroit Pistons back in the day.
On top of that, the Celtics also have two stars on the offensive end in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, not to mention the fact that Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Malcolm Brodgon, and even Al Horford are also all capable of knocking down shots from beyond the arc.
Smith also said that the Celtics have been on a mission all year long after already having that experience in the NBA Finals, which is another reason why he gives them the nod this time around.
Truth be told, the Celtics are the deepest team still in contention and they’ve already reached that big stage, so there’s no reason to think they shouldn’t be in line to raise banner No. 18 once it’s all said and done, regardless of who they face in the Finals.
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