Do the Celtics have any hope of beating the Cavs 4 times?
This was supposed to be the year. With the Cleveland Cavaliers stumbling before the trade deadline and barely getting it together afterward, LeBron James' squad was presumed to be vulnerable.
Go ask the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers how that turned out.
Two franchises already historically haunted by LeBron were terrorized once again in the first two of the rounds of this spring's playoffs, and all that now stands between James and an eighth straight NBA Finals appearance are the Boston Celtics.
These aren't the same C's that Cleveland beat in five games in last season's Eastern Conference finals. It's not the same Cavs team for that matter, either. Only nine of 24 players from last year's series will suit up in this one - and, unfortunately, that doesn't include the injured Kyrie Irving.
The Celtics get a lot of credit for their resilience in the wake of Irving's and Gordon Hayward's absences, and to dismiss Boston as simply a young, undermanned squad is erroneous.
Al Horford is an offensive and defensive cornerstone of the team, an 11-year veteran and one of the more underrated players in the NBA. Jayson Tatum is a superstar in the making. Both Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier could be as well. For all his other adventurism, Marcus Smart remains one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. And whether Brad Stevens' peers will admit it or not, few NBA coaches enjoy being on the defending end of a Stevens ATO.
On the flip side, Horford's teams are 1-16 all time in playoff games against LeBron. Tatum is only six years removed from being a kid begging James to follow him on Twitter. And Brown is still dealing with a hamstring injury - although, admittedly, that didn't seem to slow him down in the Game 5 clincher against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Who guards LeBron?
While nobody can contain him, Raptors rookie OG Anunoby did an admirable job of trying to stay in front of the King during the Cavs' second-round sweep. The Celtics have a few options to throw at James here - including Brown, the badgering Marcus Morris, or even lesser-used rookie Semi Ojeleye.
Celtics may have a chance beyond that
What helped doom the Raptors was their inability to adjust when Kevin Love became Timberwolves-era Love in the paint. Boston is far better equipped to handle that sort of thing; Horford has done a good job of defending Love in the past, and the Celts have another key defensive big in Aron Baynes.
Related: Baynes' newly discovered range could be X-factor for Celts
When LeBron looks to deftly locate one of his teammates for a trey, the Celtics can at least fall back on the fact they were the NBA's best at limiting opponents' 3-point percentage this season. That's slipped a bit to 34.5 percent in the playoffs, but the Cavs also currently rank 12th among all playoff teams in accuracy from deep.
| 2018 Playoffs | Cavaliers | Celtics |
|---|---|---|
| ORtg | 110 (3rd) | 106.9 (7th) |
| DRtg | 108.4 (10th) | 105.8 (7th) |
| Net | 1.6 (5th) | 1.1 (7th) |
Does any of that matter?
After a few years, it starts to feel lazy ending these discussions with, "yeah, but LeBron."
But the truth is, it's as simple as that.
James is the greatest player of his generation, if not ever. His machine-like domination of the Eastern Conference for the better part of a decade is not accidental, nor something he doesn't painstakingly plan for every season - regardless of who his coach is, or his teammates are.
That he's 4-2 all time in playoff series against Boston or has averaged the second-most points per game of his career against them is immaterial. So yes, the Celtics can "clamp down on D" and "hit their shots," as the optimists would prescribe. But they need to win four games against LeBron James in order to keep him out of the Finals for the first time since 2010.
Have at it, Boston.