The Boston Celtics will reach the NBA finals

Two weeks ago, I predicted the Boston Celtics would make it to the NBA finals, eventually falling to the best team of all time, the Golden State Warriors. I wasn’t entirely serious when I “predicted” this – I was carried away by my attachment to the team. I wanted to watch them rise.

Up until four days ago, my very bold prediction seemed ridiculous. The Celtics, currently facing the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the Eastern conference playoffs, were 0-2 after a humiliating loss in Atlanta, scoring only 7 points in the first quarter, the lowest amount of points scored in a playoff quarter since 1949.

However, the Celtics have turned things around. After another huge win at the Garden Sunday night, the series is even at 2-2. Led by Isiah Thomas’ 28 points and Marcus Smart’s 20 off the bench, the Celtics overcame a double-digit deficit and 12 lead changes to claim this one in overtime. Thomas hit the game-tying layup late in the fourth and the dagger 3 to seal the deal in OT.

The C’s tackled the playoffs after another solid regular season, finishing fifth in the very competitive East. Brad Stevens, the second youngest coach in the league, proved for the second year in a row that he was capable of leading a roster lacking real superstars to the playoffs.

Indeed, the team’s most valuable player, Isiah Thomas, was the last pick – that’s right, the last overall pick – in the 2011 draft. At only 5’9, Thomas is the shortest player in the league. Against all odds, Thomas blossomed this season to become one of the league’s very best point guards. He ditched his position as sixth man to become the leader of this young Celtics team. In the regular season, Thomas averaged just over 22 points a game on 42.8% shooting, along with 6.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds, up from last season’s 16.4, 4.2, and 2.3. Oh, and he clinched his first All-Star appearance, making him the lowest drafted player in NBA history to accomplish such a feat.

But the Celtics don’t owe it all to their point guard. Their roster is deep, making them hard to beat in the long run (a.k.a in a playoff series matchup). Sure, Avery Bradley’s hamstring injury will hurt their playoff run, since he scored 36% of the team’s 3-pointers this season, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the race. Jae Crowder is coming off a strong season, averaging 14.2 points and just under 2 steals a game, improving on his range and shooting a career-high 33.6% from deep. Jared Sullinger, though slightly overweight, is one of the only centers in the NBA that is able to score from just about anywhere on the court, and his pick-and-roll plays with Thomas are hard to stop. The C’s also have experience, with Veteran Amir Johnson filling in at the 4, who’s activity on the offensive glass hasn’t gone unnoticed.

The bench, though, is where the Celtics really get interesting.

Marcus Smart, the sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft, is an outstanding perimeter defender who’ll never give up on a play; in a regular season game against San Antonio, Smart hustles for a loose ball, diving to the floor before passing it to Jae Crowder for the easy two. His offense still needs to improve, but he makes up for it with his hustle and team spirit.

“His aggressiveness, his competitiveness, his spirit – our team needs it,” said Brad Stevens after Sunday night’s win.

Evan Turner is the Celtics’ main component off the bench. He’s slightly inconsistent, and I still believe he hasn’t reached his full potential, but he nevertheless contributes as a solid backup guard with great court-vision and basketball I.Q. 7-footers Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Zeller offer versatility at the center position. Olynyk’s short wingspan allows him to shoot and bring his defender out of the paint, while Zeller crashes the board and blocks shots.

And what about Jonas Jerebko, who finally got a chance to not just play more minutes, but meaningful ones. His chance to join the starting unit during the playoffs is as much about Bradley and Olynyk’s injuries and Sullinger inconsistency as anything else, but that doesn’t take away the fact that he’s been giving the Celtics exactly what they need. He’s already tallied two double-doubles in the series and has been huge on the defensive end, guarding guards and forwards alike.

“This league is all about opportunity,” Amir Johnson told CSNNE.com. “He’s getting his now and give him credit, he’s making the most of it.”

Because of his 3-pt shot, Jerebko loosens up Atlanta’s paint-packed defense, giving Thomas, Turner, and Smart more opportunities to penetrate the defense and get to the rim.

“My teammates have given me the ball in good situations,” he said after his 16 and 10 performance in Game 4. “I’m just out there trying to play my butt off.”

The Celtics are 2-0 since Jerebko joined the starting line-up. But enough with the roster. Let’s talk predictions.

If the Celtics are to make it to the finals, the road will still be long and arduous. They first need to get rid of the Hawks, who play a similar basketball. Both teams emphasize ball movement and selflessness. The Hawks may have in the Millsap-Horford duo a much stronger frontcourt and in Kyle Korver a deadly 3-point shooter, but the C’s are relentless and determined; they have a history to defend and an underdog status quo to overcome.

They’re the ones who almost snapped the Warriors’ historic start, forcing the game into double-overtime. They’re the ones who beat the Cavaliers at the buzzer after an incredible comeback in the final minute of the game. And they’re also one of the only two teams who beat the Warriors at Oracle Arena this season. They’re capable of beating any team in the league. That’s precisely why I believe they can power through the Hawks, and eventually through LeBron James’ Cavaliers. The Miami Heat in the finals won’t be a piece of cake, but they’ll get through it.

The Boston Celtics are the most promising team in the NBA right now. They’ve shown numerous times throughout the season that they can overcome any deficit, just like they did Sunday night against the Hawks. They’re the East’s outsiders; the playoffs’ unexpected X-factor. Mark my words.