By: Mike Doherty and Will Schiffman

Boston is the city of champions with the Boston Celtics being the most prestigious team in the NBA with 17 championships and are looking to raise the eighteenth banner this year. The Celtics have been rebuilding for multiple years with the addition of head coach Brad Stevens and star players like Isaiah Thomas, and Al Horford. The process of rebuilding has started to take shape with a record of 30 wins and 18 losses going into the All Star break. The Celtics trail the number one seeded Cleveland Cavaliers by only two and a half games in the eastern conference. The second seed has been a battle since the start of the season between the Celtics and the Toronto Raptors.

The Celtics are the home of the fourth quarter fenom Isaiah Thomas, who has averaged nearly 30 points per game, 10 of which coming from the fourth quarter alone. Thomas is also shooting 47 percent from the field in the fourth quarter and 42 percent beyond the arc in crunch time. Thomas is currently fifth in the NBA´s MVP race according to USA today and has quickly shot up the rankings in the past month. Thomas (5’9) is one of the shortest players in the league but he still considered by many as one of the best players in the league. “I think that I’m is the best player in the world” said Thomas.  Speaking for all Celtics fans we hope Thomas and the rest of the Celtics can keep up their amazing efforts and propel past the Cavaliers to conquer the number one seed.

Head coach Brad Stevens is halfway through his fourth season and is already considered as one of the best coaches in the league. Stevens brought his gritty Butler University defence as he came to the Celtics. Being only 40 years old it is truly remarkable of what a great coaching job he has done in Boston in the few seasons he has been here. In the three previous seasons Stevens has lead the Celtics to two playoff appearances, and is looking to add another visit this year. Last year the Cavaliers were first in the east going into the all star break which means that their coach Tyronn Lue was the Eastern conference’s coach in the all star game. Lue can’t coach this year because he coached last year, so if the Celtics can stay in second place until the all star break then Stevens will coach the eastern conference in the all star game.

With the all star break just around the corner, the NBA season is nearing the halfway point. People around Boston are starting to wonder what chance do the Celtics have In the playoffs right now. If the playoffs started today with the Celtics as the number 2 seed, we think they would have a huge possibility of making it to the NBA finals. The Celtics’ main competition in the east is the Cavaliers and with the way the Cavs have been playing the Celtics would have a great chance of winning. The Cavs have lost 8 of their 15 games in January and are currently in one of the biggest slumps Lebron has ever been apart of. Since the Cavs are not playing to well right now the Celtics would have a great shot of beating them in the Eastern Conference Finals and heading to the NBA Finals. Since the playoffs are not starting now, the Cavs could most likely get out of this slump making the Celtics’ future a little different. The NBA community still believes that the Celtics will stay the number 2 seed and end up playing in the Eastern Conference Finals due to the team’s great chemistry and MVP prospect Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics would have a very difficult time dethroning the Cavs especially if J.R Smith is healthy. It kills me to say this but I don’t think the Celtics have a great possibility of beating the Cavs in a 7 game series. The Cavs are just too much for the Celtics to handle, at this point, and with Lebron James, who the best player in the world in the eyes of many with the exception of Isaiah Thomas.

It’s great to see the Celtics coming out of their rebuilding stage and finally start competing. Every night the Celtics put themselves in a position to win no matter who they are playing, which as fans creates an entertaining night anytime you turn the TV on. After the All Star break it will be interesting to see if Cavs will stay in their slump and if the Celtics can keep their momentum going and climb to the top of the Eastern Conference and put themselves in a spot where they can go far in the playoffs.