Stephen A. Smith argues why Celtics are East's team to beat right now

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The Boston Celtics are quickly rising up the list of top contenders to win the 2022 NBA Finals, and one prominent national voice is now on board.

The Celtics own the league's second-best record since Dec. 31 at 29-9, while also ranking No. 1 in both defensive rating and net rating over that stretch.

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Boston has been dominant in March with a 9-1 record, including a four-game win streak the C's will take into Wednesday night's showdown against the Utah Jazz at TD Garden.

Where do the Celtics rank in the Eastern Conference hierarchy amid their stellar post-All Star break run?

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is very bullish on the Celtics' chances to make a deep playoff run. In fact, he views Boston as the team to beat in the East right now.

Check out his argument in the clip below from Tuesday's episode of "First Take".

FiveThirtyEight's predictive model is even more bullish on the Celtics' title odds. It gives Boston a 28 percent chance to win the 2022 NBA Finals -- nine percent higher than the Phoenix Suns at No. 2.

The Celtics are a tough matchup for every East team because of their defensive talent, versatility and length. When the playoffs begin and the game slows down, Boston's stellar defense is going to shine even brighter.

The Celtics also have two All-Star level scorers in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, plus a well-rounded supporting cast that can provide much-needed offensive depth.

All of the pieces are in place for the Celtics to make another trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. It won't be an easy road -- the East is loaded with six or seven really good teams -- but defense wins in the playoffs and no team defends at a higher level than Boston.

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