Shaquille O'Neal is skeptical of the Celtics' NBA title chances: "Boston…you got to show me"
Retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal knows what it takes to win the championship, having done so four times in his career. With the playoffs around the corner, 'The Diesel' was asked about the chances of the Boston Celtics winning it all.
With the regular season soon ending, the C's own the best record in the NBA and will enjoy home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. It should serve as an edge for head coach Joe Mazulla and his players.
Shaq gets brutal on C's chances
However, 'The Big Aristotle' feels there is no assurance that Boston will be the 2024 NBA champions. Despite their dominant showing so far, he didn’t hold back on doubting the Celtics.
“Overrated? Boston. I was going to say Clippers, but Tye Lue’s my boy. I don’t want to sound like I’m disrespecting. They can win. But Boston…you got to show me,” O’Neal said on 'The Big Podcast with Shaq.'
The former Los Angeles Lakers center went on to explain that having the best regular season record is one thing, but winning the Larry O’Brien trophy is another.
“I’ve been around this league a long time, I’ve seen a lot of guys that have had a great regular season, but they don’t win championships,” the 15-time All-Star shared.
Consistency and dominance
For the Celtics or any other team in the playoffs, Shaq believes that consistency is key. He feels that this will be a huge factor as the level of competition goes up a notch.
This means that the Celtics cannot afford to let their guard down. In the regular season, Boston had the highest offensive rating, with 122.2. Mazulla’s players are also doing well on the defensive end. They are second only to the Minnesota Timberwolves (108.1) with a 110.5 rating.
Despite those striking stats, there is one department the Celtics need to be wary of. They lead the league in turnovers with a turnover ratio of 12.0. Hence, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White must be more careful with the ball to avoid turnovers. They are chances given to opponents, and stacking them up could be costly if Boston is to win its 18th NBA title.
