WATCH: Are the Boston Celtics already title contenders – or are they still on their way?

The team is clearly better – but can they compete for Banner 18 with this squad now?

Winners of 11 of their last 12 games, you would have a hard time finding someone to make a reasonable case that the Boston Celtics are not a far better version of themselves than they were in the first half of the 2021-22 NBA season.

And though critics are quick to note that the Celtics have had most of their better games of late in contests with somewhat inferior teams with a few exceptions, the consistency and degree of margins of Boston’s wins suggest that this squad will do some serious damage when the 2022 NBA Playoffs finally roll around in April.

But how much damage can these Celtics do in the postseason when the game slows down to a pace that lends itself to their defensive identity without a truly elite offense to match it? Will their league-best smothering defense get them out of the first round? As far as the Eastern Conference Finals? Perhaps even beyond?

These are the questions asked by the hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast in a recent episode, who weigh the team’s strengths and weaknesses in regard to their East peers in the playoff hunt.

Watch the clip embedded above to hear their perspectives on Boston’s postseason prospects.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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