Chandler Parsons Calls Celtics the Lakers of the Eastern Conference

“Like, you know what you’re gonna get with [Jayson] Tatum,” former NBA forward Chandler Parsons said Tuesday, calling the Boston Celtics the “Lakers of the Eastern Conference” because of how top-heavy he believes they are.

Speaking on that day’s episode of “Run It Back”, Parsons noted that Paul George has been “surprisingly good and healthy,” but questioned the production beyond the team’s stars. “Outside those top 3 or 4 guys, they’re a little thin with depth and you don’t know where that production is going to come,” he said.

Chandler Parsons calls the Celtics "the Lakers of the East" 😳 "You know what you're gonna get with Jayson Tatum, Paul George has been surprisingly good…but outside the top 3 or 4 guys, they're thin."@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/1egQT6pvFC

— https://x.com/RunItBackFDTV/status/2117685304194711700

Questions About Depth Beyond the Stars

Parsons asked whether Hugo Gonzalez can take the next step, what the team can get from Baylor Scheierman, and what it can get from players like Jordan Walsh. He said the Celtics almost need one of these players to have a “coming out party” and serve as the X-factor for a team where the main core is predictable. While he expressed confidence in head coach Joe Mazzulla, Parsons questioned whether Boston ultimately has enough talent to make it out of the Eastern Conference.

Celtics’ Record Masks Supporting Cast Concerns

The criticism comes as Boston entered Tuesday with a 5-2 record, good for third place in the Eastern Conference. Tatum looks like an MVP candidate again and George has been as good as anyone could have expected, but the supporting cast has had its ups and downs. Payton Pritchard has been inconsistent, averaging 13.4 points on 40.3 percent shooting from the field, while Derrick White has made just 32.4 percent of his 3-point attempts. Mitchell Robinson hasn’t made the impact the Celtics hoped for, and Walsh, Scheierman and Gonzalez are still looking to establish themselves as reliable contributors.

The Need for a Breakout Performer

Despite the star power of Tatum and George giving Boston the ability to compete with just about anyone, the team could have a real chance of making it out of the Eastern Conference if one of its younger players takes the next step. Without that emergence, Parsons suggested, the Celtics remain a top-heavy club uncertain where its next wave of production will come from.