Which teams could give the Boston Celtics the most trouble in the first round?

What teams might the Celtics prefer to avoid in the 2023 NBA Playoffs?

The Boston Celtics have oscillated between a team that looks like they will run the table with a 16-game postseason and a ball club destined to take a trip to Cancun well before the Eastern Conference Finals even start, so it is anything but a sure thing that the Celtics will be in top form consistently in the postseason.

Seeding may be even more important than it usually is to teams in the playoffs. And so could be matchups, with a number of longer, athletic teams who are lesser in terms of talent on paper having given Boston fits during the 2022-23 regular season.

With all that in mind, The Athletic’s Jay King highlighted five teams that the Celtics might prefer to avoid in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.