The Last Great NBA Playoff Enigma- The Boston Celtics

Full of talent, never should lose; I’d like to think that would be Yoda’s quote about the Boston Celtics heading into the playoffs.  

As it turns out, the team with the best record in the NBA has officially entered what should be unforbidden territory for a team with as much talent and depth as the Celtics. But they are officially this year's “Enigma” playoff team.

It seems that every year during the NBA playoffs, at least one team is unbelievably difficult to predict night in and night out, and eventually, they are officially crowned that year's enigma team.

Now, look at the eight remaining teams in the NBA playoffs this year. Which teams are you finding hard to read during the playoffs?

Let’s start with the Nuggets; injuries and lack of depth might be what sends them home early this year. The Timberwolves appear on schedule, going 6-0 to start the playoffs. The Mavs and Thunder split their first two games, which should not surprise anyone. The Pacers' head coach, Rick Carlisle, is ranting about his small market team not getting enough calls; still, the Pacers have played at the level everyone anticipated, as have the New York Knicks. Next up are the Cleveland Cavilers, who lost game one and then came back to hammer the Boston Celtics by 24 in game two. 

Watching the Celtics lose a playoff game is one thing, but watching them get run out of their own arena is a whole other thing, which is why they are the clear, undisputed leaders of Enigma basketball in the playoffs this year.

The Celtics are the last great enigma of the 2023-24 season. If you watched them during the regular season and analyzed the overall strength of their playoff roster, which goes double-digits deep, you would think the team would never lose a playoff game. 

The Boston Celtics are not falling apart yet, and losing a game or two during a championship run is expected. However, getting blown out in game two at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers by 24 points is hard for most observers to explain.

My analysis of the Celtics' defeat is pretty straightforward: The Cavaliers' coaching staff outmaneuvered the Celtics' coaches with a diverse range of game two and in-game adjustments that the Celtics' coaching staff struggled to counter.  

Blame it on the coaches; it is always the safe call, but it's not like the Celtics forgot how to shoot a basketball. Go back and watch the game; you will see the Celtics coaching staff struggling to adjust to the adjustments made against them.

The Celtics posted 64 wins and 18 defeats in the regular season, winning the Eastern Conference by 14 games. While I’m sure they will ultimately beat the Cavs in their 7-game series, that doesn’t mean that the Celtics don't have something wrong with them, which could result in them not bringing home a chip in a year that clearly had the best team in the NBA.