The Boston Celtics are defying expectations. However, make no mistake, this isn't just some plucky underdog. It's deep enough into the regular season to see that this team is good enough to contend when the stakes get high.
The Eastern Conference is wide open. Boston boasts the second-best offensive rating in the NBA. Opponents are scoring the second-fewest points against the Celtics, and they're third in net rating, per NBA.com.
It speaks to a balanced team that's getting MVP-caliber play from Jaylen Brown. The four-time All-Star is coming off one of the best performances of his career.