NBA Power Rankings: Playoff Edition

team. 18. <p>The future couldn’t be any brighter for the Boston Celtics. As for the present, the jury is out on the 2016 edition of this team.</p> <p>Brad Stevens may be a wizard in the way that he maximizes the available talent, and I love the way that Boston plays. The Celtics rank in the top five of the NBA in both pace and defensive efficiency, terrorizing the opposition with high-end pressure led by Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder. Still, Boston is able to play with that pace based on impressive depth, and a reliance on depth is often a negative in the playoffs as rotations shorten.</p> <p>Isaiah Thomas is given a heavy workload for this offense, and while he is tremendous, I have concerns as to whether Boston can score efficiently enough as the game slows down. Stevens is brilliant at creating scoring opportunities out of set plays, but with more scouting on the other side of the floor, that advantage will decrease a bit, and Boston’s collection of frontcourt talent isn’t scaring anyone at this level.</p> <p>The future, highlighted by the bevy of draft picks coming from the Brooklyn Nets, is as rosy as any team in the NBA not named the Golden State Warriors. In 2016, though, I’m not sure the Celtics can advance past the Hawks in the opening round.</p>. (48-34). Previous: . Boston Celtics. 8