NBA basketball media continues to pounce on the Boston Celtics

They are the most unfairly criticized team in the NBA, a team that effortlessly rolled to 64 wins and earned first place in a very tough Eastern Conference. As of this writing on Thursday morning, May 23, they have won two NBA playoff series in five games each and lead the Eastern Conference Finals 1-0 over Indiana.

I'm talking about the Boston Celtics, and despite these excellent facts, their two superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as the team as a whole, continue to be criticized by the media.

These “experts” say the Celtics cannot be trusted and have not reached their full potential. The Celtics have been to the Eastern Conference Finals six times since 2017 and made it to the NBA Finals in 2022, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors. However, if you listen to the basketball insiders, you might think they are a bunch of green-clad snails.

I get it, the Tatum-Brown Celtics haven't won an NBA championship yet, and I agree that if they don't win it all this year, it's sure to be an unsuccessful season. After Boston beat Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals, TNT analyst Draymond Green stated that no one cares that the Celtics made it to the Conference Finals once again. He's 100% right, but that doesn't mean the Celtics are complete garbage.

It's really hard to win an NBA playoff series in five games. The Celtics have done it twice in these playoffs, but instead of giving the Celtics credit for doing well, many commentators have vilified them for their winning streak and the teams they have or have not had to play.

Joel Embiid was injured. Giannis Antetokounmpo was injured. The Knicks were banged up and the Cavs lost Donovan Mitchell. Well, that's too bad. Injuries are part of the game. Are we forgetting that the Celtics have won playoff series without Kristaps Porzingis? When the Celtics are in the national media spotlight, it's usually with a hint of disappointment and disgust. I wonder why.

ESPN and FS1 give the Los Angeles Lakers endless attention, hope, positivity and future orientation. Simply put, the Lakers are a mediocre to passable basketball team at best. They were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs and without their history, LeBron James and the city they play in, they wouldn't even be in the discussion. They are the New Orleans Pelicans with Snoop Dogg on the sidelines.

Still, the Lakers remain in the A block of many network basketball shows. Want to talk about a lack of confidence, disappointment and unfulfilled potential? How about the defending champion Denver Nuggets?

Yes, they have a two-time MVP in Nikola Jokic, but what about his team this year? They fell to a bunch of playoff newbies called the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing game 7 at home. Meanwhile, the Celtics beat an always-strong Miami Heat team and an extremely competitive Cavaliers team, both by 5 games each. These Celtics just keep winning. Does it matter if the wins are pretty? Since when is that the media's litmus test?

In a recap of Game 1 of the Eastern Finals, a thrilling 133-128 overtime win for Boston, ESPN's Tim Bontemps said the Celtics almost “blew” another game at home. He went on to say that all the Pacers had to do was throw the ball in and hit a free throw and they would have won. Fine, Tim, but you know what? They didn't do it and the Celtics did. Mistakes and taking advantage of mistakes are a big part of basketball.

Bontemps went on to say that if the Celtics don't win Game 2 against Indiana, winning Game 1 won't matter. That's probably the dumbest statement made in this year's NBA playoffs. When a four-game series is won, every win counts. I understand that the Celtics lost Game 2 at home in their first two series, but so what? They turned things around and won both series.

During Game 1 against the Pacers, the Celtics built an early double-digit lead, but Indy tied it like good NBA playoff teams do. ESPN's Lisa Salters asked Boston guard Jrue Holiday how the Celtics blew the early lead. Holiday calmly replied that the Pacers are an NBA team, too. Exactly.

At the end of Game 1, after Boston fought back in regulation and dominated overtime, ESPN live commentator Mike Breen said the Celtics “survived” Game 1. It was an interesting choice of words that underscored the unfair criticism Boston has received.

Coming back in a game, making big shots and winning when it matters most isn't survival. It's about stepping up, closing the door and keeping your cool. Breen probably doesn't know those words because he's been with the Knicks too long.

In the May 21 edition of ESPN First takethe talented and eloquent Andraya Carter asked if the Celtics could be trusted to mention Jayson Tatum in the conversation. Austin Rivers vehemently disagreed and the two engaged in a lively debate. The morning after the Celtics won Game 1 against the Pacers, ESPN's Stand up The crew was still pursuing them.

Excellent moderator Mike Greenberg asked the panel how Jaylen Brown was able to get free for the “easiest” three-point shot of the game and tie the game just seconds before the end of regulation.

However, if you watch the video of the shot, you can see that it was anything but easy. Brown was standing in the far corner, with 6'10″ Pascal Siakam in his face and the Indiana bench just a few feet away, probably yelling Dicemanesque obscenities at him. These are the kinds of unwarranted insults that get thrown at the Celtics. Brown hits a fantastic shot with everything on the line, and it somehow ranks as the easiest shot of the game. Really?

Much of the disdain for the Celtics stems from their superior roster and the perceived lack of talent among their opponents, but let me give you a quick bit of history. Michael Jordan, almost unanimously voted the greatest player in the history of the game, did not play against the greatest teams of all time in his six NBA championship victories.

In 1991, it was an old Lakers team. In 1992, it was the completely forgettable Portland Trailblazers. In 1993, it was an aging Phoenix Suns team with Charles Barkley trying to get a ring. In 1996, it was a good-but-not-great Seattle Sonics club, and in 1997 and 1998, it was the Utah Jazz. I'll give the Jazz to Karl Malone and John Stockton, but the rest of the team did double duty in a midweek men's league at the Northern Utah YMCA.

In fact, a team's competition is trivial. If you win, you win. It doesn't matter who is on the other side of the court. These Celtics have yet to win a ring and that's on them, but the media's criticism of them was silly.

Even the legendary Michael Wilbon went even further and said that if the Knicks were fully healthy, he would have picked them to beat the Celtics. With all due respect to Mr. Wilbon, a fully healthy Knicks team would have beaten the Pacers, who shoot as sharply as Martin Riggs in Deadly weapon.

At Stand up Last week, ESPN's Alan Hahn said that Jayson Tatum is not in the same league as LeBron James. No kidding, Alan. LeBron James is the greatest scorer in NBA history, a man who has defined the sport for two decades. Hahn, however, insisted that Tatum is not in the same league as Luka Doncic.

Doncic is an incredibly talented player, but that's all. His Mavericks are in the conference finals for only the second time in his career. He has taken his team absolutely nowhere. Doncic is the Josh Allen of the NBA. Great stats, but not the slightest chance of a conference title. His name is Luca and he is the second best player after Tatum.

In the May 22 edition of First takeStephen A. Smith noted that Jayson Tatum scored 12 points in overtime in Game 1, but also added that Tatum was 2-of-10 shooting in the fourth quarter and early in overtime.

Okay, but then he said, “They were looking for him, and when it really mattered, he was nowhere to be found.” Huh? So it didn't really count in overtime? Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and the Pacers was a great NBA playoff game that would go down in history as a classic.

Instead, it became a springboard for more unfounded denigration of the Celtics. Not every NBA competitive game is perfect. Teams make mistakes and miss shots. That's basketball.

The bottom line is that the Boston Celtics were 9-2 in the playoffs heading into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, with several reliable players stepping up in crucial moments. This series could end in 4 or 5 games, or 7, but to paraphrase Draymond Green again, as long as you're winning, nobody cares. Despite the baseless negativity in the media, that's exactly what the Celtics have done.