Playoff preview

                                              (Photo courtesy of thesportsfanjournal.com)

With the regular season in the books, the fun is just beginning. The Celtics have put themselves in position to be a part of that fun again this year, clinching the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. They are hoping to have a little bit more fun than last year, when they were swept in the first round by the eventual Eastern Conference champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Celtics first round matchup will be against the fourth seeded Atlanta Hawks. Despite the higher seeding, the Hawks ended the season with the same 48-34 record as the Celtics. Atlanta has taken a step back this year after landing the first seed in last years playoffs and advancing to the Eastern Conference finals before also losing to Cleveland. I expect this to be a very tightly contested series, with Celtics coming out on top due to elite coaching and scrappy play.

If the Celtics are able to squeak past the Hawks and advance to the second round, the Cavaliers will likely be their waiting for them. Cleveland takes on the Detroit Pistons in the first round, and should not have a hard time with them. It's safe to say that the Celtics do not stand a legitimate chance against Cleveland, but I have been wrong before. In this case, I'd rather be wrong than right. The Celtics were able to pull out a win in one of their three games against the Cavaliers this year. However, LeBron James is a different beast come playoff time. My prediction for this series would be Cavaliers in 5, maybe 6 games if the Celtics are lucky.

If the Celtics somehow find a way past the Cavaliers (they won't), they would most likely take on the Toronto Raptors or Miami Heat. It would most likely be the Raptors, and I can't see the Celtics beating them either. The Celtics would be the favorites if they faced the Heat, however. Boston won all three games against Miami this year.

If a miracle occurs and the Celtics make it to the NBA finals, they would likely take on the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs. No chance. Not even going to talk about it.