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As with many other professional sports leagues, the National Basketball Association (NBA) can have some ups and downs throughout the year. To be sure, the Boston Celtics are acting the part of defending champions. They haven't been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they mostly kept their nucleus intact and they seem poised for another run at the trophy. Still, parity can reign in the NBA from year-to-year and nothing is guaranteed. Here are a few thoughts on the Celts chances in the NBA playoffs.

Conference competition

The Eastern Conference over the last few years has not been taken seriously, particularly because the Western Conference has been so strong. However, people are starting to take some notice as teams grow in strength and depth. LeBron James is arguably the current face of the NBA, and his Cleveland Cavaliers are giving him a lot of support. Similarly, the Orlando Magic, led by Dwight Howard, are tearing up the East and look to be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time. Therefore, not only is a championship not guaranteed for Boston but also they may not even be the Eastern Conference representatives.

In the other corner

The Western Conference is again loaded with tough and experienced teams. If the Celtics make it to the finals, they could face any number of foes. Of course, Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers are the early favorites but they could be ousted by a couple of teams. San Antonio has been there before and could be there again. In addition, Chris Paul and New Orleans are showing that last year was not a fluke. Even teams like Denver and Portland could make some noise in the playoffs.

Core

One thing the Celtics have going for them is their core of superstars. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce may be older, but they can still play and they proved last year that they could put egos and superstardom aside for the good of the team. In addition, they are getting great play from their point guard Rajon Rondo, who seems to get everyone in the mix. Finally, their bench has given them enough quality minutes to post an impressive record. Given the fact that benches tend to shorten in the playoffs, the Celtics should be fresh enough to challenge for a second title.

Savvy

Sometimes experience is overrated, but in the case of the Celtics it may be extremely helpful. Granted, many teams are "experienced" so some of that gets cancelled out. However, the Celtics did this last year and they should still possess the savvy and cunning needed to navigate through a treacherous playoff schedule. Again, nothing is guaranteed, but they certainly have all the pieces for a repeat.

Hunger

Throughout the years, players have remarked that winning a championship can sometimes make players all the hungrier for another trophy. In some ways this makes sense. The players seem to experience a certain euphoria when they win, which makes them eager to experience that feeling again, particularly after the feelings of the prior year wear off. Therefore, the Celtics may not be the "favorite" to win the championship, but they are certainly in the top two or three. Come June, they may again hoist that NBA trophy for the fans of Boston to celebrate.

Learn more about this author, Todd Pheifer.
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