Who do you (Cetlics fans) want to see in the playoffs?

[cgange20]

Hey fellow Celtics fan. I am ready for the season to resume on July 31 as I hope you are as well. I am going to get right to it. Which team do you want to see in the first round? As of now, we would be lined up to face the Sixers. I have heard some folks embrace this team and others that say they want no part of them. Where do you stand? Personally, I would feel confident if they squared off, but the ideal first rounder for me is the Pacers. Curious your thoughts.

Go C's.

[RodyTur10]

Of the realistic first round opponents I think Miami is our best option. Though Miami is also a good team, I rate Philadelphia and Indiana slightly higher.

(hoping for a crazy sprint and get #2 and face Orlando as best case scenario  )

[cgange20]

Listen, I agree with what you are saying with the heat. However, I do not think we will see them in the first round.

With that being said, if we faced the heat, how do you think the series would end. Me personally, I feel could dispatch them in five.

[PhoSita]

The Raptors and Celtics have NEVER played one another in the post-season? Is that right? 

I would love a Raps - Celts series.


Beating Philly in round 1 would be great but I'd be very concerned about losing, which would be very painful.

[cgange20]

I agree with you on that one. For one thing, I feel that a Boston-Toronto series would be a very compelling one. I would give the edge to the green hear, but this is still an awfully good team. This series for sure would have struck a little more uncertainty into me if we were in normal times. Winning in Toronto is not something we have done much of lately although it was great to see us break that on Christmas. Conversely, they do not win often in Boston, which was also snapped this year. I feel that if we meet this team in Orlando, we come out on top over the course of 7 games.


Also, the pain would be immense if we were to lose to the sixers, however the satisfaction would also be immense. It would be awesome to silent that team and their fans.

[RodyTur10]

Listen, I agree with what you are saying with the heat. However, I do not think we will see them in the first round.

With that being said, if we faced the heat, how do you think the series would end. Me personally, I feel could dispatch them in five.

The Celtics would probably win in 5 or 6 I think, but I'd expect most games to be really close.

A Celtics-Raptors match-up in the second round would be awesome to watch, definitely expect that to go to 7 games (although without homegames / awaygames / travel / HCA it's all a bit different)

Still believe that the Celtics aren't going to beat a healthy Bucks team over a full series.

[Jban13]

Personally I’d like to avoid pacers if possible. If Oladipo regains form after two more months of (assumingly) being able to work our after coming back from his injury, then the remaining time before playoffs, I think they’re a dark horse in the East. I’d prefer philly or the heat if that happens.

If I could choose I’d want the heat in the first round the most. Don’t trust butler as a number one option in a playoff series against us, and some main role players are quite inexperienced (though without fans/HCA lets see how much nerves and such play into the playoffs this year

[gouki88]

Regarding the poll, based off the last month of play Tatum is our best player. He elevated his offence to a Durant-like level over the stretch, and was playing some elite team defence.

In regards to your question, I’d like to come up against Miami. We have guys who can defend Butler, as well as locking in on their perimeter shooters like Robinson & KO. Bam is a problem, as he’s one of the more unique bigs in the league, but I’d rather face him than Sabonis+Turner or Ibaka+Gasol+Siakam

[Phantom255x]

Hey! I see you don't have any TPs, so I'll change that for you 

Personally, I'd prefer to face the Heat. They are a good team, but truthfully I think they're slightly overrated. Again, not an easy series, but I'm pretty confident we'd beat them in a series. I want to avoid PHI. IND with a healthy Oladipo won't be easy either but I believe our own healthy squad could take them.
 

[slamtheking]

Personally, I've always liked the idea of playing against the best to make a title taste that much sweeter -- that and beating the Sixers and Lakers in the playoffs is just that much more enjoyable.

I'd take Sixers in round one, Toronto in round 2, Buck in ECF and Lakers in the Finals.  16-0 run would suit me just fine

[SparzWizard]

Remember when Al Horford was garbage and Ben Simmons couldn't shoot...they look like they may have improved without playing for a few months.

It would be nice if we go on a run and clinch the #2 seed while the Raptors lose most of their games, and we draw #7 Orlando. But wouldn't that make the Orlando Magic the biggest home-court advantage for all 7 games in a series lol literally the 2-2-1-1-1 format won't even apply anymore this season.

[Somebody]

I don't want any of those 3 middle seed teams lol, all of them are tough outs.

[cgange20]

First, thanks for the TP! And I agree with what a lot of people have been saying. If we do square off against the Bucks, where do people stand on that? Do we have a chance, or does something similar to last year happen?I have heard both, but am curious. If you look talent for talent, we have the better team on paper. But, of course in the real game, that is all different. The bucks have a great team with a great coach. The one area in which they seem to present us the biggest challenge is size in the paint. We ALL know guys like Theis, Williams, Kanter are gonna have to step up to the plate big for us. I think you could see a very even series and I like how we would not have to travel to their place.

I think that would make for the best ECF. Would be a great series.

[Somebody]

First, thanks for the TP! And I agree with what a lot of people have been saying. If we do square off against the Bucks, where do people stand on that? Do we have a chance, or does something similar to last year happen?I have heard both, but am curious. If you look talent for talent, we have the better team on paper. But, of course in the real game, that is all different. The bucks have a great team with a great coach. The one area in which they seem to present us the biggest challenge is size in the paint. We ALL know guys like Theis, Williams, Kanter are gonna have to step up to the plate big for us. I think you could see a very even series and I like how we would not have to travel to their place.

I think that would make for the best ECF. Would be a great series.

I think we have the best shot out of any East team to take down the Bucks because we'll be able to force them to go small, but even then they're probably the stronger side due to their system around Giannis. But we do have a chance, and anything can happen in the playoffs.

[gouki88]

First, thanks for the TP! And I agree with what a lot of people have been saying. If we do square off against the Bucks, where do people stand on that? Do we have a chance, or does something similar to last year happen?I have heard both, but am curious. If you look talent for talent, we have the better team on paper. But, of course in the real game, that is all different. The bucks have a great team with a great coach. The one area in which they seem to present us the biggest challenge is size in the paint. We ALL know guys like Theis, Williams, Kanter are gonna have to step up to the plate big for us. I think you could see a very even series and I like how we would not have to travel to their place.

I think that would make for the best ECF. Would be a great series.

I agree with Somebody - we’re the best suited team for taking down Milwaukee. We’ve become a very different team compared to last years.

Kemba vs Kyrie is one of the obvious differences. On the court, Kemba is much more willing to take the backseat, allowing others to generate offence (like Hayward, Tatum, Brown & even Smart). He’s also a much better mover without the ball in hand, which ensures guys like Bledsoe have to stay honest when he doesn’t have the ball.
He’s always a way better defender than Kyrie was, to my surprise. Kyrie has the ability to play pretty solid defence when he wants, but his effort is the question. Kemba’s effort is never questioned. He dives for loose balls, takes charge after charge and picks big men’s pockets on switches. He’s also healthy! That’s not even mentioning the off-court difference.

There’s also the differences between our young wings. Tatum has locked himself in as a surefire #1 option on offence, averaging 30PPG for a whole month, and he was playing elite defence alongside that. JB was playing really solid offence too, maximising his touches and averaging 20PPG despite a fluctuating role depending on the matchup. I think the improvement of these two really will test Middleton, as both will push him on both ends.

Then there’s Hayward. He’s been a completely different player this season, being an elite secondary ballhandler, shooting well from all over and most importantly being an elite finisher at the rim. He also plays more solid defence than he’s given credit for IMO.

Our personnel isn’t too different, but where they’re at is night and day. I also think Brad has a better handle on this team. If he can keep Smart under control, and keeps his rotations tight, we could go all the way