Lowe: The Boston Celtics are, finally, who we thought they were

The senior ESPN writer likes what he sees from the new-look Celtics.

Trap game loss to the Detroit Pistons aside, the Boston Celtics have transformed themselves around the 2022 NBA trade deadline into a defensive juggernaut of sorts, pushing up the Eastern Conference standings with an identity on that side of the ball that has proven among the stoutest in the league.

And fans and analysts are taking note, openly wondering just how dangerous this team can be by the time the 2022 NBA Playoffs arrive in mid-April. One such analyst is ESPN senior writer Zach Lowe, who started off his weekly “10 NBA things” column addressing the Celtics’ late-season resurgence and his thoughts on where it can lead them.

“The Boston Celtics are, finally, who we thought they were,” begins Lowe.