Experience is Celtics' hidden advantage this season

The problem for both Oklahoma City and Cleveland is that their rosters lack deep postseason experience. Neither team has made the NBA Finals with their current rotation. 

That's where the Boston Celtics currently hold an advantage. Joe Mazzulla's roster is battle-tested at the highest levels of the game. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have led teams to conference finals and NBA Finals on multiple occasions. They understand what it takes to win with the world watching. Players must learn to deal with the pressure that comes with playing on such a big stage. 

Boston currently holds the third-best record in the league. The Celtics have dealt with multiple injury issues this season, yet have still found ways to win games at a high rate. Furthermore, they've navigated a season where every team is giving them their best shot. 

Cleveland and Oklahoma City may have the best regular-season numbers, but they both lack the experience needed at the highest level. Even the Celtics, with years of conference finals appearances, needed a humbling loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2022 to teach them how to win and get over the final hurdle. 

Oklahoma City showed its inexperience during the in-season tournament earlier this season, crumbling against a former championship roster in the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Rather than gunning for a championship banner this season, the Cavaliers and Thunder should be hoping to make the NBA Finals. Maybe they win, maybe they don't, but at least then they'll be learning the most important lesson. Until they've earned that experience, it's unlikely they will understand the complexities of navigating and controlling a seven-game series against one of the best teams in the world.