It’s time to spoil Boston Celtics fans’ fun before the postseason even starts.

In related news, don’t count on the Celtics to throw a parade through Boston’s streets this summer.

The Celtics are the overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Finals after their outstanding regular season. They also have almost everything going for them. Boston boasts a star-studded roster with a large supporting cast to help fill in the blanks. With possibly their biggest opponent coping with an injury to one of its key players, the Eastern Conference’s path to the Finals is also clear for them.

Although it seemed inevitable that the Celtics will win the NBA championship, that isn’t actually the case. The Celtics still have a lot of opportunities to lose this postseason.

And for the following three main reasons, the Celtics’ quest for Banner 18 will end in failure:

Late-game incompetence

Boston left a lot to be desired in terms of their game-ending performance. Does anyone really think that Joe Mazzulla or Jayson Tatum will make the perfect play in the closing seconds?

During the regular season, the Celtics struggled with a stagnating offense with Tatum simply dribbling the ball into the floor in the closing minutes of games. Boston, which finished 13-11 this season in games decided by six points or less, appears to focus more on isolations than on its amazing ball movement, an issue that is prevalent in the NBA.

Tatum has also not fared well in certain circumstances. It seems as though he hasn’t made a game-winning basket since defeating the Brooklyn Nets a few postseasons ago by making a layup at the buzzer. Since then, he’s had many more opportunities that have merely fallen flat.

The pressure in the playoffs will increase exponentially at game’s finish. During these thrilling finishes, execution must be nearly flawless, and the Celtics have demonstrated that they become overly eager and frequently crumble under such strain.

Turnover defect

The Celtics’ two most recent postseason runs have been wrecked by turnovers, which come at the worst possible time for Boston. The Celtics committed 23 turnovers when the Golden State Warriors finished the Finals on the parquet floor in 2022, and Jaylen Brown had eight turnovers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals the previous year.

The Celtics’ record at home during the previous two postseasons has been 11-12 in part because of their turnover rate.

Without a doubt, Brown and Tatum are the main offenders. While Tatum became the first player in NBA history to commit 100 mistakes in a single postseason in 2022, Brown—who has struggled with a hand injury this season—had a team-high 3.3 turnovers per game during the playoffs last year.

The playbook for defending Brown and Tatum is clear to opposing defenses: get up on them and ruin their life. Although the famous pair has reduced their turnovers per game this season, they have not improved their ball handling sufficiently, particularly in light of the NBA’s recent changes that let defenders to be more aggressive.

It makes sense that the Celtics frequently want to get the ball into the hands of Brown and Tatum. They are the two top players on the team and have a wide range of scoring options. But the Celtics will have difficulties if they haven’t entirely resolved their ball-handling troubles.

The biggest star in the NBA is the most visible.

Sometimes, a team’s only option is to tip its hat to the top player on the floor. If the Celtics face the Denver Nuggets in the Finals, there is a scenario that could come to pass.

Tatum and Brown are not on the same level as Nikola Jokic. The two-time MVP ate up Kristaps Porzingis near the rim with a gorgeous variety of post moves in their two regular-season encounters, and the Celtics have no answer for him. Are we certain Porzingis can even survive the grueling postseason grind in good health? The idea that Luke Kornet or even Al Horford would have to try to protect Jokic is unsettling.

In Denver’s two victories over the Celtics, Jokic averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists while shooting 60.1% from the floor. This is probably what he’ll do in the Finals.

Nobody else compares to Jokic. He’s an incredible individual talent who makes those around him feel better. He also possesses championship mettle. Even against a team as talented as Boston, trying to defeat him when he understands what it takes to win a championship is an extremely difficult challenge. Thus, Celtics, good luck with that.