3 big reasons why the Celtics won't win the NBA title

It's time to rain on the parade for Boston Celtics fans before the postseason begins.

Speaking of parades, don't expect the Celtics to host one in the streets of Boston this summer.

The Celtics have put together an overwhelming regular season and are considered the favorites to win the NBA Finals. They do just about everything well, too. Boston has a stacked roster with plenty of star power and a supporting cast that fills in the gaps well. The road to the Eastern Conference Finals is similarly cleared for them, as perhaps their biggest opponent is dealing with injuries to their star players.

celtics should It seems like a foregone conclusion that they would win the NBA title, but that's not really the case. There is still a lot that can go wrong for the Celtics in the playoffs.

And here are three big reasons why the Celtics will fail in their pursuit of Banner 18.

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Incompetence at the end of the game
Boston's execution at the end of the game left a lot to be desired. Does anyone have full confidence in Jayson Tatum or Joe Mazzula to make the right decision in the final seconds?

The Celtics had problems late in the regular season, with their offense stagnant and Tatum just dribbling the ball into the basket. Boston, which went 13-11 this season in games decided by six points or less, appears to be moving away from its fancy ball movement and focusing on isolation, a common problem across the NBA.

Tatum also didn't have much success during that time. It feels like he hasn't hit a game-winning shot since his buzzer-beating layup against the Brooklyn Nets a few years ago in the postseason. Since then, he's had multiple chances, only to miss the rim.

The pressure will increase exponentially at the end of a playoff game. In these tough finishes, the execution has to be near perfect, and the Celtics have shown that under this kind of pressure they get too fast and often break down.

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Turnovers have derailed the Celtics in each of the past two playoffs, and they came back to bite Boston at the worst possible time. Jaylen Brown committed eight turnovers in Game 7 of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, and the Celtics committed 23 turnovers when the Golden State Warriors shut out the Finals on Parquet in 2022.

Turnovers are part of the reason the Celtics have gone 11-12 on their home court over the past two postseasons.

Brown and Tatum are definitely the biggest culprits. Brown has struggled with a hand injury this season, but committed a team-high 3.3 turnovers per game in last year's playoffs, and Tatum will become the first player in NBA history to commit 100 turnovers in a postseason in 2022. He became a successful player.

Opposing defenses have a blueprint for how to protect Brown and Tatum. Stand up to them and make their lives miserable. Both have shown some improvement in their ball-handling, and the star duo has reduced their turnovers per game this season, but it hasn't been enough. This is especially true as NBA rules now allow defenders to strengthen their physical abilities.

The Celtics often want to put the ball in the hands of Brown and Tatum, and that's understandable. They are two of the best players on the team who can score in a variety of ways. But the Celtics will have problems if they can't fully fix their ball-handling issues.

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The NBA's biggest stars shine the brightest
Sometimes, there's nothing a team can do but tip the cap to the best player on the court. This is a possible scenario if the Celtics face the Denver Nuggets in the Finals.

Nikola Jokic is on a different level than Tatum and Brown. The Celtics have no answer for the two-time MVP, who made spectacular post moves and devoured Kristaps Porzingis near the rim in two regular-season matchups. By the way, is Porzingis confident that he can survive the rigors of the postseason fully healthy? It's scary to think that Al Horford and even Luke Cornette will have to protect Jokic.

Jokic averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and shot 60.1% from the field in Denver's two wins over the Celtics. He will probably do the same in the final.

There's no one like Jokic. He has a sensational personality that uplifts those around him. He also has championship spirit. He knows what it takes to win a title, and trying to beat him is an incredibly difficult task, even for a team as talented as Boston. Well then, good luck to the Celtics.