NBA 2018-19: 3 reasons why the Boston Celtics will reach the NBA Finals

The Boston Celtics have disappointed fans for the most part of the season, and have not looked like the team everyone expected them to be before the start of the season. However, they are the team to beat in the East, and can really come out of the LeBron-less Eastern Conference.

There are teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers who are all playing basketball at an elite level, the Celtics could still have an edge in a seven-game playoff series.

At the beginning of the season, they had issues trying to find the right combination but once they figured that out, they did go on nice runs and looked really good in patches. They were inconsistent and played very poor basketball at times, but they still have a stacked team that can really look spooky in the playoffs.

Their record this season against the top teams speaks for itself. They finished 1-2 against the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks and drew their series against the Toronto Raptors 2-2. They are also up 2-0 against the Philadelphia 76ers, and have already clinched the regular-season series, and the Pacers' series is currently tied at one-apiece.

In this article, I give you the reasons for why I am of the strong opinion that the Celtics will reach the NBA Finals.

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#3 Gordon Hayward might become the X-factor in the playoffs

Hayward had 30 points in the game against the Warriors earlier this week

The Celtics entered the season with high hopes, thanks to the much anticipated return of Gordon Hayward. However, he has under-performed for the most part of the season and was relegated to the bench.

While Hayward did struggle and looked far away from his old self, he turned back the clock and showed some of his old flashes. While consistency has been a genuine problem for the 28-year-old, he still has the time, and in the game against the Warriors earlier this week, he scored 30 points and showed that he can perform way better. He looked comfortable dunking the ball, shot the ball well from mid-range and also deep.

Hayward can become the X-factor in the playoffs and come up big for the Celtics. In his last playoffs appearance in 2017, the small forward averaged 24.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists on an efficient 44.1 % shooting from the field, and led the Jazz to the Western Conference Semifinals.

#2 They are still one of the top three defensive teams in the league

Al Horford has been great in the paint all season long

The Boston Celtics have always used their stellar defense to feed their offense. For the past few years, they have been one of the top defensive teams in the league and this year has been no different. With a 105.7 defensive rating, they are the third best defensive team in the league, only behind the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks.

The cornerstone of their defensive success has been Al Horford, who is one of the best shot-blockers in the league. He leads the Celtics with 1.4 blocks per game, and has also been dominating the opposition defenders in the paint using his body.

While Al Horford takes care of the rebounds and the blocks, Marcus Smart and Kyrie Irving have also been great with their defensive presence, averaging 1.7 and 1.5 steals per game respectively. With the amount of importance Brad Stevens gives to the defense, this team cannot be taken lightly in the playoffs, and can challenge other contender teams like the Raptors and the Bucks.

#1 The Celtics have one of the best offensive players in Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving is known for bringing out his A-Game in the playoffs

The Celtics have one of the best offensive players in the entire league in Kyrie Irving, and he is known for bringing his A-Game in the playoffs. Kyrie Irving has been in the playoffs thrice in his career, and the first time he made it to the postseason, he averaged almost similar figures in the playoffs as he did in the regular season, and he averaged higher on the other two occasions.

Not to forget his 40-point game against the Golden State Warriors to stave off elimination in the Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals. Irving thrives under pressure situations, and he can turn the tables just like that. This season, the 26-year-old point guard is averaging 23.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.

Even though most of the offensive load is expected to be on Irving's shoulders and the offense is expected to run through him, with players like Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum on their side who can create their own shot, they definitely have the kind of offensive skills that is expected from a title contender team. The fans can definitely go ahead and have high hopes for this team.