3-time NBA champion says Celtics 'haven't been battle-tested'

The Boston Celtics are one win away from booking their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

They hold a 7-2 record in the postseason. Even without Kristaps Porzingis , their roster looks talented enough to contend at the highest level. If they can defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, they will earn some much-needed rest ahead of their matchup with the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks in the next round.

The Celtics are coasting. They've seldom been challenged throughout their opening two rounds of the postseason.

According to Udonis Haslem, who won three championships with the Miami Heat, it may be detrimental to the Celtics' championship aspirations for them not to be battle-tested. Haslem believes the Celtics haven't shown they can overcome adversity throughout a game, primarily because no team has been talented enough to put them in genuine danger.

"You've got to play at a championship level, you've got to have championship expectations," Haslem said. "No matter who is in front of you, you've got to understand that you set the standard every night. But what I will say is, Boston, nobody is going to beat them right now, we understand. They haven't been battle-tested. I don't know if that's a good thing to get battle-tested in the finals. I don't know if you want to get battle-tested in the finals. I don't know if you want to be battle-tested by Denver or Minnesota, or one of those teams; that might be too late to be battle-tested."

The timing of Haslem's comments is strange, as they came less than 24 hours after Boston played in and won its first clutch-time outing of the playoffs. The Cavaliers pushed the Celtics to the final few possessions of Boston's 109-102 win, which is the definition of being tested.

The Celtics have also overcome a Miami Heat team that plays physically and knows how to muck things up. However, the Celtics need to face a higher level of opponent if they want to be ready for what could potentially await them in the finals.

Still, the Celtics have earned their easier path. That's the point of fighting for the first seed in your conference. It's unfair to then question a team's championship ability because they're winning at the rate that's expected of them.

Boston still needs to prove itself as a genuine contender. To do that, the Celtics need to win some close games. However, it's not their fault that their opponents have been unable to match their skill level and intensity. Perhaps the Celtics can prove themselves in the conference finals, or maybe it will take winning a championship to prove what they're capable of.

Right now, the only clear thing is that the Celtics will continue to be counted out until they prove themselves at the highest level. If they fail, they will be proving multiple members of the media right. But if they succeed, the narrative surrounding their roster has to change.