The Boston Celtics are one of the best teams in the league and will be looking to compete for an NBA championship this June. There are a number of different opponents that will challenge them throughout their journey, making it tougher for the Celtics to accomplish their ultimate goal. Today, we count down the three biggest playoff threats to the Celtics starting with the least threatening and building up to the deadliest team.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

This season has been a breakout year for the Milwaukee Bucks. They have had elite talent in Giannis Antetokounmpo for quite some time, but now the rest of the team is becoming a force to be reckoned with.

The Bucks have improved greatly as a team. Milwaukee is off to a 22-10 start, giving them the second-best record in the East. Antetokounmpo has led the way, averaging 26.2 points, 12.8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals a game. He is leading the team in every statistical category except for blocks. His early season performances have vaulted his name into MVP consideration.

Giannis has received massive help from players such as Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Malcolm Brogdon and Brook Lopez. All of these players are averaging double-digit scoring figures and have been huge in bringing the Bucks to the level that they are currently at. Lopez, in particular, has revived his career and is knocking down the 3-point shot at a career-high rate.

Last season, the Bucks ended with a 44-38 record and were the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference. They played a hard fought seven game series versus the Boston Celtics, but fell short in the end. This loss for Milwaukee is sure to be used as motivation in a potential rematch.

However, a series between these two teams would look entirely different this time around. For starters, Boston would (hopefully) be playing with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward this time. Both of these All-Stars were unable to play during last season's playoffs due to injuries.

Boston would certainly have their hands full in this series. Milwaukee has made scary improvements that could be enough to push them over the top.

2. Toronto Raptors

The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors have never met in the NBA Playoffs. If this is the season that they finally meet, get ready for a thunderous collision.

The Raptors have been on the verge of becoming contenders for a few seasons. They have won 50 games in three consecutive seasons, only to be eliminated in the playoffs by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers each time. Now that James has gone to the Western Conference, this could be Toronto's chance to make noise.

James going to the Los Angeles Lakers isn't the only thing that has benefited the Raptors. This summer, they made a few moves of their own. By trading DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors managed to gain the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Kawhi Leonard, as well as a solid role player in Danny Green.

With their new assets, the Raps have wasted no time getting started. Toronto currently has the best win percentage in the league with a record of 24-9. Leonard has reminded everyone how great he is by averaging 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Kyle Lowry has also been superb, putting up 14.4 points and a career-high 9.8 assists a night.

Toronto has also seen the emergence of players such as Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet. Siakam and Anunoby are athletic freaks with the ability to impact the game in multiple ways. Meanwhile, VanVleet is one of the best bench players in the league, scoring 10 points and dishing 4.4 assists a game.

The Raptors are likely the deepest team that the Celtics will have to face in the Eastern Conference. Their length and athleticism will cause Boston a ton of problems in a potential playoff series.

1. Golden State Warriors

No other team in the NBA can offer up a more formidable challenge to the Boston Celtics than the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have won three championships in the last four seasons and are chasing their third straight title. With a roster consisting of five All-Star players, the Dubs are the most loaded team in the league.

Stephen Curry has been having perhaps the best season of his career. He is currently putting up 29.2 points, 5.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds a game. Curry is shooting better than ever before, knocking down 5.1 3-pointers a night on a career-high 46.5 percent shooting from deep. He has already drilled 118 total 3-pointers and is on pace to break the single-season record.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant is playing like his usual self. Durant set the league on fire recently by averaging 48.0 points on 52.2 percent shooting over the course of three games. For the season, KD is scoring 29 points a night and is still an elite defender.

Curry and Durant are joined by Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Thompson is an all-time great shooter while Green is the most versatile defender in the league. On top of all of this, the Warriors are still waiting on the debut of four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.

The Warriors have the highest ranked offensive rating in the league at 114.5 and are the third seed in the Western Conference. The Boston Celtics would need to play a perfect series in order to take down the Warriors, but anything is possible. If these two teams meet in the NBA Finals, it will likely be a historic matchup.