The second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs is officially over, which means the conference finals are finally here. Now, organizations are a step closer to the Larry O’Brien Trophy. That is the case for the Boston Celtics, who are trying to win the title for the first time since 2008. With their series against the Miami Heat starting on Wednesday, it is time for some Celtics Eastern Conference Finals bold predictions.
Boston went 57-25 in the regular season, finishing as the No. 2 seed in the East. That represented a six-win improvement compared to the previous year and also earned the team the second-best record in the league, trailing only the Milwaukee Bucks at 58-24.
The Celtics are coming off a seven-game series against the Philadelphia 76ers. After being down 2-3, they bounced back with two wins, closing out the series 4-3 on Sunday with a 112-88 victory.
On the other side of the matchup, Miami went 44-38 in the regular season, earning the No. 7 seed in the East. This represented nine fewer wins compared to 2021-22. The Heat officially clinched a postseason bid by defeating the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In Tournament.
In the previous round, the Heat defeated the New York Knicks in six games.
This will be the third time in the last four years that the Celtics face the Heat at this stage of the season. This could result in another thrilling series that could go down in the history books.
With all that in mind, here are three bold predictions for the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.
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3. Boston holds Jimmy Butler to at most 25 points per game for the series
There is no secret that Miami's success heavily relies on Jimmy Butler. The Marquette product’s impact was felt during the regular season, especially when he missed multiple games as he recovered from an injury. Miami ended up going 9-9 without him.
The six-time All-Star averaged 22.9 points per game, his best mark since joining the franchise, while grabbing 5.9 rebounds and dishing out 5.3 assists per game. He notably shot a career-best 53.9% from the field.
In the postseason, Butler is recording 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists plus 1.7 steals. He is making 52.7% of his field goals, 36.1% of his 3-pointers and 79.2% of his free throws.
So far in the playoffs, Butler put up some historic performances. That includes scoring 56 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. He then had 42 to close out the series.
The bold prediction is that the Celtics' defense will step up to the challenge. Expect Butler to average at most 25 points for the series.
2. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown average 60+ points and 15+ rebounds combined for the series
As for the Celtics, they will need everything they can get from their stars. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are coming off the best years of their respective careers and have continued to make a big impact in the postseason.
Tatum ended up earning his fourth consecutive All-Star selection and was in the MVP conversation throughout the season as he finished in the All-NBA First Team. Brown received his second All-Star nod and made an All-NBA team for the first time in his seven-year career.
In the playoffs, Tatum is recording a team-best 28.2 points, 10.6 boards and 5.2 assists. He also has over a steal and block per game. He is shooting 45.3% from the field, 35.9% from beyond the arc and 86% from the free-throw line.
Tatum is coming off a record-breaking performance in the series versus the Sixers. He scored 51 points on Sunday, setting a new NBA record for most points in a Game 7.
Brown is averaging 24.6 points with 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists. His shooting splits for this year's postseason are 54-47-70.
Should the duo continue its hot streak, the Celtics will be in a good position in the series. The bold prediction is that Tatum and Brown will average a combined 60-plus points and 15-plus rebounds.
1. Series goes to at least six games
At the end of the day, this series will be a rematch from recent years. As it was previously mentioned, this is the third time in the last four years that the Celtics and Heat play each other in the conference finals.
In 2020, Miami advanced in six games before losing in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. Last season, Boston won the series in seven games, winning the last contest in Florida.
According to FanDuel, the Celtics are the favorites to advance to the NBA Finals. Currently, the odds are -550 in favor of Boston against Miami's +390.
The bold prediction is that this year's Boston-Miami series will be another one for the history books. It should be full of memorable moments from both Tatum and Butler, with many games going down to the final possessions. All things considered, the Eastern Conference Finals will go to at least six games and perhaps Game 7 will be one to keep an eye on.
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