Getty ESPN's Stephen A. Smith admits he's picking the Boston Celtics to win it all this season.
ESPN’s Stephen A Smith certainly talks a lot, but if you’re a Boston Celtics fan, you probably liked what he said during his recent appearance on the Cedric Maxwell Podcast.
Smith said as long as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are suited up together, the Celtics will be a contender. Smith said he believes Boston is the best team in basketball.
Stephen A Smith Heaps Plenty of Praise on the Boston Celtics
Smith knows Boston’s time is coming. Under the direction of Tatum and Brown, the Celtics have been painfully close to a championship but haven’t hoisted a banner yet. Two seasons ago, they reached the NBA Finals, only to come up short against the Golden State Warriors.
Last year, they had a meltdown at home in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. Miami embarrassed the Celtics, winning 103-84. Smith expects the Celtics to bring home Banner 18 soon.
“The moment they gave Jaylen Brown over three hundred million dollars, we need to stop talking about is this it for Boston,” Smith told Maxwell and host Josue Pavon on the podcast. “What Boston said to you is Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are going to be here for years to come. Neither is over the age of 27. They got a decade left in their game. They ain’t going anywhere. You know if they gave Jaylen Brown that money, just add another 50 million to Jayson Tatum’s contract.”
Smith said other players like Kristaps Porzingis or Derrick White might eventually leave down the road, but Tatum and Brown, arguably the game’s best duo, is here for the long haul.
“As long as Tatum and Brown are here to stay, the Boston Celtics are going to contend. Does that mean they’re going to win a championship this year? No. But I’ll tell you this much, I have them as my favorite. There is no team in the NBA that should be able to definitively look at the Boston Celtics and say we’re better.”
Smith Says Only 1 Team Could Be Considered a Favorite Over the Celtics
Smith said he’s picking the Celtics to win it all, but he said the defending champion Denver Nuggets could be considered a favorite over them for one specific reason.
“Nobody should look at the Boston Celtics and view them as an underdog against any single opponent in the NBA outside of the reigning defending champion Denver Nuggets,” Smith said. “The only reason you would do that is because their chemistry is intact, and Boston is still trying to figure theirs out.”
Still, Smith is riding with Boston, but he hedges a little.
“I don’t think there’s any excuse for the Boston Celtics to play second fiddle this season,” he said. “Could they lose to a Denver? Sure. Could they lose to Milwaukee or if Philly gets an additional piece? It’s possible.”
The Celtics own the best record in the Eastern Conference at 16-5. They trail only the Minnesota Timberwolves, who own the NBA’s best record at 17.4. The Celtics are in the midst of a five-game homestand. They take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, December 12.