How many teams in the NBA are better than the 43-21 Boston Celtics right now?
In the eyes of NBA.com’s John Schuhmann, that number is three. The Celts moved up to No. 4 in the latest, Schuhmann-penned Power Rankings for NBA.com (published Monday), with only the San Antonio Spurs (1), Oklahoma City Thunder (2), and Detroit Pistons (3) ahead of Boston.
The Celtics entered Monday with the No. 2 net rating, No. 2 offensive rating, and No. 5 offensive rating in the NBA while playing at the slowest pace in the Association.
“The Celtics got clobbered by the Hornets on Wednesday, but they’re undefeated (2-0) with Jayson Tatum, who moved pretty well upon returning from a 10-month absence,” Schuhmann wrote.
“Tatum shot just 12-for-32 (38%), but he totaled 15 rebounds and nine assists in his 54 minutes in the Celtics’ wins over Dallas and Cleveland,” Schuhmann continued. “He took more than half of his shots from 3-point range, but also had three drives against Evan Mobley among his six buckets on Sunday.”
Schuhmann also noted that the Celts have a tough week ahead, with road dates against the Spurs and Thunder on the calendar.
“The Celtics have, by far, the toughest remaining schedule among the top four teams in the East,” Schuhmann wrote. “Twelve of their 18 games are against teams that currently have winning records, and two more are coming against the 32-33 Hornets. They’ll visit San Antonio and Oklahoma City this week, with another meeting with the Thunder coming later this month.”
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