The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks will tip off on Monday in their Eastern Conference playoff tilt, the first time since 1984 that the two teams have met after the first round of the postseason–tough to believe given the historic rivalry between the two.
While the current version of the Knicks was constructed entirely with beating the Celtics, the defending NBA champs, in mind, the fact is, New York has just not quite played up to the level of talent on the roster or to the expectations that were raised after the acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges last offseason.
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Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said he accepts the fact that the Celtics are the overwhelming favorite in this series–he is, in fact, accustomed to that.
“I’ve been an underdog my whole career,” Brunson said. “It is what it is. It’s all about what you make of the opportunity you’re given.”
Charles Barkley before The Match: Tiger vs Phil golf match at Shadow Creek Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports © Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
In fact, NBA.com asked its roster of reporters and experts for their view on the Knicks-Celtics series, and the votes came back nearly universal: six out of seven experts picked the Celtics.
That includes Charles Barkley, and it probably should not be a surprise to find Sir Charles backing the Green. Before the season, speaking on “Inside the NBA” on TNT, Barkley said we could be seeing the start of a Celtics dynasty after last year’s title.
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“They’re gonna be favored probably the next five to seven years,” Barkley said. “They are going to be favored to win the championship. You got Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown), they’re two of the 10 best players in the world. They’re young. Derrick White’s young, (Kristaps) Porzingis is young. They’re gonna be the favorites.”
Indeed, here we are seven months later and the Celtics are, still, the favorites.