The Boston Celtics are the clear-cut favorite to win the 2024 NBA title, but don’t tell Rashad McCants. The former University of North Carolina guard and 2005 NCAA champion doesn’t believe they are cut out to be NBA champions.
During an appearance on “Gil’s Arena,” a podcast hosted by former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, McCants was asked whether the Celtics were a championship-caliber team. He quickly said they weren’t and said they were playing like primadonnas. In fact, McCants said that if the Celtics made it through the Eastern Conference, there is a likelihood they will get swept in the NBA Finals.
Rashad McCants Says Celtics ‘Not at All’ a Championship Team
It’s one thing to think the Celtics might not bring a championship back to Boston this year, but McCants’ take is borderline absurd.
When sportsbooks have the Celtics at -135 to win the championship and all others at plus money, it’s clear Boston is the significant favorite. It’s very possible that if the Celtics win the East, they could lose to the defending champion Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks or Minnesota Timberwolves, but saying the Celtics have no chance is about as solid as McCants’ NBA career.
“No. Not at all,” McCants quickly said after he was asked if Boston looked like a championship team. “They look like a team that could get to the Finals that didn’t really deserve to be there but happened to get there because of injuries in the East. You know, lucking up a certain amount of times.”
McCants called the Celtics’ recent play “frustrating.” He said without injured center Kristaps Porzingis, their offense has been stagnant without an inside presence, and everyone is “just trying to go one-on-one.”
Sure, the Celtics have a reputation of coming up short in the postseason. They blew a 2-1 series lead in the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. They got smoked at home in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. The Celtics have won nothing in the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown era, but to say they aren’t a championship-caliber team makes McCants look foolish.
He continued.
“The Celtics, in total, are playing like prima donnas,” McCants said. “They’re playing like they know they can win and they’re supposed to win, but they’re playing to the level of the competition, which you’re never supposed to do.”
McCants Said He Wouldn’t Be Surprised if the Celtics Got Swept in the NBA Finals
McCants certainly knows a lot about not performing well in the NBA. The Timberwolves selected him with the 14th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. He made a total of 38 starts for Minnesota in four seasons before getting traded to the Sacramento Kings. He made one start for the Kings. In his NBA career, McCants averaged more turnovers (1.5) than assists (1.3).
Arenas proved to be the voice of reason on the podcast when speaking of the Celtics, who are 7-2 in the postseason heading into Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals.
“What do you want them to do, win every game by 50?” he asked.
McCants outdid himself by saying if the Celtics keep playing the way they’re playing and face the Nuggets, Thunder, or Wolves, they might get swept.
“If any of those three teams play defense against Boston the way they’re playing offense, Boston will get swept,” McCants said.
