Celtics predictions roundup: Are experts picking Boston to win it all?
BOSTON -- Fans in Boston are pretty hyped for the Celtics this season. After getting oh so close to glory two years ago, and following a summer of bold moves by Brad Stevens, the title hopes are sky high in Boston.
Whether you're a full-fledged Green Teamer complete with the footy pajamas and an "In Brad We Trust" T-shirt underneath, or just a casual Boston hoops fan, everyone is feeling pretty great about this team's chances. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have hit their prime and now have a ridiculous amount of talent around them in the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Al Horford. Boston possesses an absurd Top 6 that has to be the envy of the rest of the league.
The national pundits are pretty high on the Celtics too, so it's not just the Green Teamers. However, where Boston fans are already planning a parade come June, those around the country aren't so sure.
Many of them love the Celtics to make the Finals, they're just not as bullish on Boston's chances at taking home the title. Here's a roundup of what the national experts are predicting for the 2023-24 Boston Celtics.
The Ringer
Of the eight experts sharing their thoughts on the 2023-24 NBA season, four of them have the Celtics making it to the NBA Finals. Only two of them picked Boston to win it; Justin Verrier went with the Celtics over the Nuggets, while Michael Pina picked the Celtics to beat the Clippers.
CBS Sports
All six experts -- Brad Botkin, James Herbert, Jack Maloney, Sam Quinn, Colin Ward-Henniger, and Jasmyn Wimbish -- are picking the Celtics to earn the No. 1 seed in the East and win the conference. Half of them have the Celtics winning the title over the Nuggets, while the other three have the Nuggets winning over the Celtics. It's a pretty nice balance, actually.
Zach Harper, The Athletic
Harper has the Celtics... well we don't know where he has them finishing. But it's not atop the NBA, or even in the NBA Finals, as he has the Bucks beating the Miami Heat in seven games in the East Finals. He then has the Nuggets repeating as champs, beating the Bucks in seven games.
Harper is very high on Jayson Tatum though, picking him to win the MVP this year.
John Hollinger, The Athletic
Hollinger, meanwhile, DOES have the Celtics winning it all, beating the Suns in the NBA Finals. He has Boston winning 57 games to claim the 1-seed in the East and also has Tatum winning MVP.
ESPN
The four-letter leader in sports polled a dozen NBA experts, and only four of them have the Celtics coming out of the Eastern Conference. Of those four, three -- Tim Bontemps, Dave McMenamin, and Kevin Pelton -- have Boston winning it all.
Six experts picked the Bucks to win the East and half of them have Milwaukee winning the title. Three others picked the Nuggets to repeat, while the Miami Heat, the Phoenix Suns, and the Golden State Warriors round out the predictions list for NBA champs.
NBA.com
The experts on NBA.com only had to pick their Finals matchup, with three going with a Suns-Celtics Finals while another went with Nuggets-Celtics. Four of five picked the Celtics to finish as the 1-seed in the East.
Bleacher Report
Grant Hughes predicts that the Celtics will lead the NBA with 58 wins during the regular season, but Dan Favale doesn't think they'll be the champs. That goes to the Nuggets, whom Favale picks to repeat with Nikola Jokic winning another MVP award.
Yahoo Sports
Two of the four experts polled have the Celtics making it to the NBA Finals, but both Ben Rohrbach and Jake Fischer have Boston losing to the Nuggets. Rorhbach has Tatum winning MVP this season.