The Boston Celtics have arrived — and that was before they ran off a blistering 13 game win streak.
Seeing the writing on the wall and understand that his mighty Golden State Warriors will have to contend with someone other than the Cavs for the forseeable future — Steve Kerr made it clear that the Boston Celtics are the new Beast of The East — even if the King is still in Cleveland.
“It sure looks like Boston is the team of the future in the East, with the assets that they still have and their young talent and their coaching, and Kyrie [Irving] is amazing,” Kerr said after practice Tuesday. “That looks like a team that is going to be at the top of the East for a long time to come. Whether their time is now or the future, that’s to be determined, but they sure look like they want it to be right now.”
Kerr was beyond impressed with how the young Celtics have not missed a beat, despite various injuries and inexeprienced talent.
“They’re really sound, and they’re motivated,” he said. “It’s a team that’s been on the rise the last couple of years. They lost in the conference finals. They want to win a championship, and it looks like it. Even without Gordon Hayward and that awful injury, Boston is just crushing people. So, it’s going to be really fun to go against them on Thursday. We know how tough it’s going to be.”
In what could be an NBA Finals preview Thursday at TD Garden — the Celtics will go for their 14 straight when they meet the Warriors for the first time this season.
Boston (13-2) and Golden State (11-3) currently have the two best records in the NBA.