Power Rankings: Eastern Conference Playoffs Edition

#5 Boston Celtics

Terry Rozier has stepped up in Kyrie's absence, but will it be enough to enable a playoff run for the Celtics?

The Celtics are in a tough spot right now. Having lost their best swingman to season-ending injury less than 6 minutes into their regular season campaign, their title chances were dealt a death blow following the announcement of Kyrie Irving's season-ending knee injury on 5th April. Even without Gordon Hayward, the Celtics looked good value to make the Eastern Conference Finals based on their regular season record of 53-23 at that point.

The fundamentals of the Celtics squad are sound. Over the course of the season, despite missing crucial rotation pieces for extended spells, the Celtics have maintained the best defensive rating in the league. Brad Stevens has installed an offensive scheme that combines pick-and-roll plays, switches, and isolation plays in a manner that has brought out the best of its players.

They have two-way players all over their roster even with Kyrie's injury: the likes of Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart (who has missed the home stretch of the regular season but could be back for the first round) can keep the team in the game with plays on both ends of the floor.

But the problem is that they no longer have the depth to keep pace with a good offense for all 48 minutes. Aron Baynes is not much of a contributor. Daniel Theis, a versatile power forward who was getting good minutes throughout the season, is out for the season. Greg Monroe is not a game-changing player. Relying on the likes of Tatum, Brown, and Rozier, who are all on rookie contracts, seems to be a big stretch.

As things stand, the Celtics look primed for a first-round exit against the team that we'll talk about on the next slide.