Are the Boston Celtics falling behind their conference rivals?
Have the Boston Celtics fallen behind the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers in the East?
Before the 2025-26 season got underway, Boston Celtics fans weren't expecting much. Brad Stevens had parted with a sizeable amount of the championship-winning core from 2024, and the messaging was that the season would be somewhat of a "gap year. " However, a younger, less experienced version of the Celtics quickly found its identity, proving itself capable of going toe-to-toe with any team in the NBA...
And then the playoffs rolled around. It was in the postseason that Boston's inexperienced roster quickly gave the fanbase a reality check. Despite building a 3-1 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers , Boston let go of the rope, losing three consecutive games (two on their home floor) to drop the series and end their chances of a Cinderella run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
With that in mind, Joe Murray of 98. 5 The Sports Hub recently explored the notion that Boston may have fallen behind some of the other heavy-hitters in the Eastern Conference. He noted that the Celtics are likely behind the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.
In fairness, you could probably add the Cleveland Cavaliers to that list. You can hear Joe Murray's full take by watching the embedded video above. Watch or listen to the "Celtics Chronicle" podcast on: YouTube: https://bit.