There was a time when I questioned the notion that significant playoff experience was necessary to win an NBA title.
This take may or may not have coincided with rookie Jayson Tatum and second-year Jaylen Brown leading the Boston Celtics to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Lebron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers, and me trying to convince myself that experience was overrated. Why couldn’t 19-year-old Jayson Tatum out-duel one of the greatest players in the league’s history in a Game 7?
Six years, another trip to the ECF, and a Finals loss later, this current era of Boston Celtics basketball is another reminder that to win the NBA title, significant playoff experience is a prerequisite.