5 reasons why the Boston Celtics are a legitimate title contender 

#2 Star power

Kyrie Irving and Al Horford in action against the Atlanta Hawks

Every playoff series devolves into a series of matchups between specific players on the two sides of the court. Because of the 2 All-Stars in their starting lineup, the Celtics can genuinely be one-up on most possible opponents they face in the playoffs.

Kyrie Irving is the complete offensive point guard in the game other than Stephen Curry. Such is his scoring punch during the playoffs, he made All-NBA defender Avery Bradley look like toast in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, putting up 35.4 points per game at a staggering 62.2% field goal percentage. Playing on a loaded Celtics, expect him to be at least as destructive.

Al Horford is one of the best big men in the game mainly because of his ability to do it all at a high level. He is a good facilitator, a force on the boards, a good help defender and on-ball defender and can get his own buckets. Expect him to be at his best come playoff time.