Celtics are ‘gonna be a problem’ for rest of NBA

Eddie House: Celtics are ‘gonna be a problem’ for rest of NBA

originally appeared on
NBC Sports Boston

If the preseason was any indication, the Boston Celtics are set to dominate the rest of the league. Scoring at least 112 points in all four of their preseason wins, the 2024 NBA championship favorites showcased their superiority in their final game against the Charlotte Hornets, winning 127-99 and amassing 22 steals, breaking their regular-season franchise record. With Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday joining an already-loaded lineup, the Celtics are a force to be reckoned with. Former Celtics guard Eddie House, who watched the game, expressed no surprise at the lopsided result.

🔊 Celtics Talk POSTGAME POD: Celtics are “gonna be a problem” for rest of NBA; end preseason with blowout win | 
Listen & Subscribe

According to House on Celtics Postgame Live, “I didn’t learn anything that I didn’t already know. I know that with the additions that we have offensively, it’s gonna be a problem. Defensively, it’s gonna be a problem. And when they put that all together, it’s gonna be a problem. So I didn’t learn anything. What I did learn is that other teams are gonna have an issue trying to figure out what they’re gonna do against us defensively and how they’re gonna attack us offensively. So it didn’t teach me anything, really.”

The Celtics finished the preseason with a 4-1 record, and Porzingis and Holiday have proven themselves to be valuable additions to the team alongside stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. House is impressed with how seamlessly the group has played together in the five exhibitions.

“I think that they can play in different ways,” House said. “We’ve seen Jayson Tatum score in different ways. We’ve seen him go to the block a bunch of times. We’ve seen him score from 3. We’ve seen Jaylen Brown do the same thing, attack. We know what they’re gonna do. But then when you talk about Porzingis, adding him into the mix, and then what Derrick White can do on the defensive end, blocking shots… I don’t wanna get ahead of what I see, but what I do see is a team that’s gonna be extremely hard to deal with as long as they continue to build and do what they need to do to help each other out and play for each other. It’s gonna be difficult for this league to handle this team.”

The real excitement begins next Wednesday when the Celtics open their regular season against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET.

Watch House and the rest of the Celtics Postgame Live crew’s immediate reaction to Thursday night’s preseason win below: