The Boston Celtics Are For Real, So Deal With It.

So, let's talk about the elephant in the room.

Lebron James is still the best player in the planet (sorry, Kevin Durant).

Still, as the Indiana Pacers and, just this morning, the Boston Celtics have proven, basketball is a team game, and the better team has a better chance of going through.

How do we know the Boston Celtics are the better team (versus the Cavs, the Raptors, the Pacers and the Bucks)?

Because they've lost 2 franchise-level players in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward and yet, here they are, not just in the Eastern Conference Finals but in the Eastern Conference Finals and dominating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1.



How? Brad Stevens is a genius. Or a warlock. Either way, Boston has been superbly coached to exploit every possible weakness in their opponents.

And then, there's the young 'uns. Jaylen Brown. Jayson Tatum. Terry Rozier. Not much was expected from them, except maybe to learn the NBA game and develop their skill sets. Instead, they've been showing that older generation a thing or two about how to play the game.

And of course, there's the ultimate glue-guy, Al Horford. Much was said about his inclusion in this year's All Star Game but he is proving just how much of a game changer he is.

So the sooner we get comfortable with the idea that the Boston Celtics, here and now, without their superstars, are capable of upending the Cavs, the less of a schock we'll get when they do it.

Now, imagine how much stronger they'll be next year.