The Boston Celtics are a superteam. They have five players on their roster capable of being All-Stars. Al Horford is their sixth man. Furthermore, their best player, Jayson Tatum, is a legitimate MVP candidate. So, after the Boston Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, it was no surprise when Coby White shared his thoughts on their roster construction.
“They’ve got a s— ton of good players,” White said, per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune.
White’s comments encapsulate what everyone else is thinking. The Celtics are arguably the deepest team in the league. They pose matchup problems at every spot on the floor. They currently boast a league-leading net rating of +10.4. They’re undoubtedly among the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the season.
Boston’s roster rapidly improved this summer. Brad Stevens swung deals to land Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Those arrivals transformed the Celtics’ core. The additions of Xavier Tillman and Jaden Springer around the Feb. 8 trade deadline added further depth to the stacked roster.
With so much talent on their roster, anything less than a championship will be deemed a failure for the Celtics. Beating a struggling Bulls team in the middle of the season will do little to move the needle for an expectant fan base. However, that same level of talent will undoubtedly create a swath of fans waiting to see the team fail.
White’s comments will empower those who want to see the Celtics struggle. There’s always going to be those waiting for a superteam to fail. It was the same with the Kevin Durant-led Brooklyn Nets. However, the Celtics have been building toward this moment for almost a decade. Their best players are battle-tested in the playoffs. White’s comments should be seen as a warning to the rest of the NBA. Because when they’re at their best, there likely isn’t a team in the league that can slow down this version of the Celtics.