When it comes to the opinions of ESPN analysts on the Boston Celtics’ future, the trend is to like them more later than right now.
Meaning, in essence, that while there may be a consensus on Boston being a contender for a long time with increasing odds as time passes, they just aren’t feeling the Celtics emerging from the Eastern Conference Finals as winners.
The ESPN panel picked the Miami Heat to represent the East in the NBA Finals, with 57% picking Miami victorious in their series with Boston.
Oddly, 70% of the same respondents chose the Celtics to win Game 4.
Jaylen Brown skeptical Breonna Taylor’s killers will be charged https://t.co/CF6QSsPHvS
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 23, 2020
83% trust Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra more, but 53% of panelists think the Celtics have a better shot at beating whichever of the Los Angeles Lakers or Denver Nuggets emerge from the West Finals.
Boston however laps the Heat in estimations of which East team has a brighter future in which respondents were asked to rank their top-three such teams.
The Celtics garnered 112 points to the Heat’s 62, the Brooklyn Nets a distant third with 48 points.
Similarly, when asked to rank their top three players in the East Finals, Jayson Tatum was a strong first with 100 points. Jimmy Butler wasn’t far behind with 91, and Bam Adebayo logged a healthy 46.
Jaylen Brown (fourth with 17 points), Marcus Smart (sixth with six points) and Kemba Walker (seventh with one point) also made showings.
Goran Dragic ended up in fifth place with nine points as the only other Heat player to get a nod from the panel.
All in all a mixed bag for Boston in the present, but you’d have to be asleep to miss how bright their future is.
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