Who are the best and worst playoff matchups for Celtics in East?

The bar has officially been raised for the Boston Celtics. 

Earlier this season, some wondered if it was even worth investing in this team as it hovered around .500 and struggled to close out games.

But that was before Ime Udoka's club won 9 of 10 games before the All-Star break, entering the hiatus as the Eastern Conference's No. 6 seed just 4.5 games behind the No. 1 seed Miami Heat.

As we watch the C's play with newfound energy on both sides of the ball and observe how seamlessly trade deadline acquisition Derrick White has fit into Boston's "core," it's worth wondering: How much noise can this team make in the postseason?

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That depends on the Celtics' playoff matchup, of course -- and the reality is that their conference is loaded.

The five East teams ahead of Boston are all at least 10 games over .500, and the No. 8 seed Brooklyn Nets have the second-best title odds in the conference after adding Ben Simmons at the NBA trade deadline.

So, who should the C's want to face and avoid in the playoffs? As we enter the All-Star break, it's time for an exercise: Ranking Boston's potential postseason matchups from easiest to hardest, and ranking the top five overall players in a potential series with the Celtics.

Toronto Raptors (easiest)

Current seed, record: No. 7 (32-25)

Top five overall players in a series with Boston:

1. Jayson Tatum
2. Pascal Siakam
3. Jaylen Brown
4. Fred VanVleet
5. Robert Williams

The pesky Raptors simply won't go away. Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby join VanVleet and Siakam to give Toronto four players averaging over 17 points per game, while rookie Scottie Barnes has been excellent to date.

The Raptors don't have much depth outside their starting five, though, and Boston's elite defense shouldn't have much trouble handling Toronto's 18th-ranked offense. The goal for the C's should be rising high enough in the standings to draw Toronto in Round 1.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Current seed, record: No. 4 (35-23)

Top five overall players in a series with Boston:

1. Jayson Tatum
2. Darius Garland
3. Jaylen Brown
4. Jarrett Allen
5. Robert Williams

All due respect to the Cavs, who could be a problem for years to come if Evan Mobley continues his development and Collin Sexton gets healthy. But this team has virtually no playoff experience outside of Kevin Love and Jarrett Allen.

And while Garland is a star in the making, Cleveland ranks 23rd in the NBA in total offense, which doesn't bode well against a Celtics defense that's been the NBA's best since Jan. 1.

Even if you believe the All-Star replacement Allen has the edge over Williams in the frontcourt, Boston has the more talented starting five that should give it the edge in a seven-game series.

Predicted result: Celtics in six

Chicago Bulls

Current seed, record: No. 2 (38-21)

Top five overall players in a series with Boston:

1. DeMar DeRozan
2. Jayson Tatum
3. Zach LaVine
4. Jaylen Brown
5. Robert Williams

Really? The team tied with Miami for the best record in the East is the Celtics' second-easiest playoff matchup?

This again comes down to experience, as DeRozan and injured guard Alex Caruso are the only players with postseason track records. Chicago is the No. 1 seed because DeRozan is playing like an MVP candidate, and his insanely high level of play may not be sustainable come playoff time.

Make no mistake, though: The C's would have their hands full against the Bulls, and it's a testament to the strength of the East that they're this far down on the list.

Predicted result: Celtics in seven

Miami Heat

Current seed, record: No. 1 (38-21)

Top five overall players in a series with Boston:

1. Jayson Tatum
2. Jimmy Butler
3. Jaylen Brown
4. Bam Adebayo
5. Robert Williams

How evenly-matched are the Celtics and Heat? Both teams are averaging exactly 108.9 points per game and rank third (Boston, 103.5 ppg) and fifth (Miami, 104.4 ppg) in team defense.

This would be an absolute dogfight between two teams that pride themselves on ferocious defense. The Heat are deep and experienced -- much of the 2019-20 team that beat Boston in the East finals remains intact, while newcomer Kyle Lowry is an NBA champion -- so this series might come down to which team can find more offensive consistency.

Predicted result: Celtics in seven

Philadelphia 76ers

Current seed, record: No. 3 (35-23)

Top five overall players in a series with Boston:

1. Joel Embiid
2. Jayson Tatum
3. James Harden
4. Jaylen Brown
5. Robert Williams

Full disclosure: We nearly bumped Philly below Miami after Boston waxed the Sixers by 48 points on Tuesday.

Alas, Harden should make a huge impact when he takes the floor by taking the scoring burden off Embiid. Even if the frontcourt rotation of Robert Williams, Al Horford and Daniel Theis can keep Embiid somewhat in check, the C's will have to contend with Harden, Tobias Harris and the speedy Tyrese Maxey as well. Matisse Thybulle also plays a key role in a Philly defense that ranks seventh in the NBA.

The one wild card here is the poor postseason track records of both Harden and the Sixers, who haven't made it out of the second round since 2001. But star power usually triumphs in the playoffs, and the Embiid-Harden duo is hard to top.

Predicted result: Sixers in seven

Brooklyn Nets

Current seed, record: No. 8 (31-28)

Top five overall players in a series with Boston:

1. Kevin Durant
2. Jayson Tatum
3. Kyrie Irving
4. Jaylen Brown
5. Ben Simmons

As in Philly with Harden, there's a chance Simmons can't regain his mojo in Brooklyn. But if Simmons, Durant and Irving are all healthy for a full playoff series, this team could be nearly impossible to beat.

The Celtics were lucky to take a game off the Durant-Irving-Harden trio in last year's playoff matchup, and Simmons is a massive defensive upgrade over Harden, who could combine with Durant to give Tatum and Brown real problems offensively.

Oh, and Brooklyn also has two lethal shooters in Seth Curry and Joe Harris. As the Nets rise through the East standings, the Celtics should pray they don't draw this first-round matchup.

Predicted result: Nets in six

Milwaukee Bucks (hardest)

Current seed, record: No. 5 (34-26)

Top five overall players in a series with Boston:

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. Jayson Tatum
3. Khris Middleton
4. Jaylen Brown
5. Jrue Holiday

Don't let their current record fool you. The defending NBA champions remain a problem.

Antetokounmpo has been ruthlessly efficient on offense -- he ranks second in the NBA in scoring and 17th in shot attempts -- while four of Milwaukee's rotation players (Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen) are shooting roughly 40% from 3-point range.

While the Celtics have won four of their six regular-season matchups against the Bucks over the last two seasons, Milwaukee is built to win in the postseason, and it's hard to see Udoka's club beating this team four times in seven games.

Predicted result: Bucks in six