Are the Celtics still title favorites a quarter-way through the season?

Is it safe to say that Boston is the favorite to win it all given their extensive postseason history?

When the Boston Celtics’ front office decided to shake things up following the team’s surprise ejection from the 2023 NBA Playoffs at the hands of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals, it was clear the ball club meant business for the NBA’s 2023-24 season.

Now, after adding star big man Kristaps Porzingis and veteran combo guard Jrue Holiday, the Celtics find themselves atop the East standings and in a dead heat with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the league’s best winning percentage a quarter-way through the season. Is it safe to say that Boston is the favorite to win it all given their extensive postseason history?

If you ask Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, the answer is not ambiguous.