BREAKING NEWS: Kendrick Perkins casts doubt on the Celtics’ championship history.
The Boston Celtics haven’t won a championship, in Kendrick Perkins’ opinion. In previous seasons, he witnessed his old team being picked as favorites, only to fall short once the postseason started.
He also questions Kristaps Porzingis’s contribution to the club, pointing out the 7-foot-2 center’s dearth of significant postseason games.
Under Jayson Tatum, Boston has advanced to four Eastern Conference Finals. They have made it to the NBA Finals once, where they were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in 2022. Brad Stevens revamped Boston’s roster this summer by signing Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. It appears that the NBA’s most talented club is the Celtics.
The postseason is distinct, though. Everything is new. There is a season inside a season. It’s hardly a guarantee that you’ll dominate in the postseason just because you have an outstanding regular-season record.
The Celtics do, however, have continuity. They are acquainted. They have expertise. They are also gifted.
There’s no reason they shouldn’t be back in the Finals at the conclusion of the season, assuming they stay healthy. It would be a big upset if we couldn’t make it there.
Still, it makes sense and is reasonable to be skeptical of the Celtics. They have been here before, but they have never made it to the top. They need to show that they are capable of winning a championship after so many close calls.
If not, Stevens might need to look into methods to rebuild this team instead of merely retooling it.