Boston Celtics

Paul Pierce thinks the Celtics can make the NBA Finals

The Celtics hold the league's second-best record since the turn of the calendar year.

Paul Pierce likes what he sees from Jayson Tatum and the Celtics as of late. Jim Davis/Globe Staff

By Conor Roche

2 minutes to read

Paul Pierce knows what it takes to bring an NBA title to Boston.

The Celtics legend was the NBA Finals MVP for the organization’s last championship team in 2008. Fourteen years later, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading a Celtics squad that’s won 18 of its last 21 games, Pierce believes that this current iteration of the Celtics might hit the same ceiling as the 2008 Celtics.

“Well, Jayson Tatum’s playing at an MVP level. The Celtics are playing their best basketball right now,” Pierce told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin during Friday night’s Celtics game. “If they continue to play like this, I could see them in the Eastern Conference Finals and possibly the NBA Finals.”

While Pierce’s prediction could lead some people to call him a homer, he’s far from the only one that has a high outlook for the Celtics. FiveThirtyEight gives the Celtics a 33 percent chance at reaching the NBA Finals and a 20 percent chance of winning the whole thing, which are both the highest for any team in its system. ESPN’s basketball power index is nearly as bullish. It gives Boston a 15.3 percent chance of winning the title, which is the highest odds for any Eastern Conference team and second in the league behind the Phoenix Suns.

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It’s also tough to deny just how well the Celtics have played over the last couple of months. Since the turn of the calendar year, Boston’s 24-8 record is tied for the second-best in the league. In that stretch, the Celtics have held the league’s best defensive rating (103.5) and seventh-best offensive rating (115.1), giving them the best net rating (11.6) since the start of the new year.

As the Celtics struggled to win games early on in the season, Pierce remained a supporter of keeping Brown and Tatum together, even when former teammates of his advocated for the Celtics to split the duo up. The recent play from the Celtics’ two young stars might prove Pierce to be right in the long run.

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Tatum has asserted himself as one of the league’s best players. In the last 21 games, he’s averaging 29.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and five assists per game while posting .487/.364/.870 shooting splits. Brown’s also been a solid No. 2, averaging 22.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists since the start of the new year.

Tatum and Brown’s play propelling the Celtics to one of the league’s best teams comes at a good time. Pierce is in town for Sunday’s number retiring ceremony for Kevin Garnett, who played just as big a role as anyone on the 2008 Celtics title time.

“This is definitely an exciting weekend,” Pierce said. “We’re going to see another number go up into the banners. What more to enjoy with former teammates, with the big fella, Kevin Garnett! It’s going to be amazing.”

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