With the Boston Red Sox four wins away from a World Series appearance for first time in five seasons, and the Boston Bruins and New England Patriots season underway, it is now time to turn our attention to the fourth professional team from Beantown that also hope to contend for a championship come June. The Brad Stevens led Boston Celtics come off a memorable 2017-18 season, and have very high hopes when the new season starts next Tuesday night at TD Garden against the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston went 55-27 last year good for second in the East, and lost in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers, after holding a 3-2 series lead.
RETURNING- The Celtics return arguably the best lineup in the Eastern Conference, and also could be argued one of the top in the entire league. Five-time All Star Kyrie Irving returns after two surgeries forced him out from March 24 until Boston was eliminated from playoffs one game short of a trip to the NBA finals. Irving, who is a career 22 points per game scorer, averaged 24.4 ppg with Boston in 60 games last season and is back at 100 percent health. Joining Irving is Gordon Hayward, who broke his leg five minutes into the 2017-18 season opener with the Celtics after being aquired from the Utah Jazz, forcing him to miss the entire season. Hayward is close to 100 percent, and for his career averaged 15.6 ppg with Utah in 516 games, making his first All Star game appearance in the 2016-17 season. Rounding out the stellar starting five will be veteran Al Horford, and second year and third year sensations Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. A playoff run under their belts should greatly help Tatum and Brown, who have already turned into phenoms under coach Stevens. Horford returns for a 12th NBA season and averaged 12.9 ppg and 7.4 rebounds, Tatum averaged 13.9 and 5.0, while Brown averaged 14.5 and 4.9. The bench will be deep once again this season, and may be also one of best in the conference and league with Terry Rozier (11.3 ppg), Marcus Smart (10.2 ppg), Aron Baynes (6.0 ppg), and Marcus Morris (13.6 ppg). Boston also added rookie center Robert Williams out of Texas A&M, who has impressed during camp and preseason, and his role may increase as season progresses taking some of the pressure off the 32 year old Horford who played a majority of the minutes last year. The Celtics were pretty quiet in the offseason, re-signing key bench guys in Baynes and Smart. They did also sign guard Brad Wanamaker from Europe to reunite with his former Germany teammate Daniel Theis who also returns. Wanamaker is known for his great defense with a big body, and could play an end of the bench Shane Larkin-like role. Larkin did depart in offseason to play for Turkey in the European League. The Celtics also stayed out of a deal to try to bring Kawhi Leonard to town, as the San Antonio Spurs were asking for too many Boston pieces in a trade, and Leonard ended up in Toronto with the Raptors.
BOTTOM LINE/PREDICTION- With Lebron James signing with the Lakers in Los Angeles, the Celtics are now considered the favorites in the East, followed by the 76ers and Raptors. Bostons depth and playoff experience will be attributes and help the team to their first NBA finals appearance since a game seven loss to the Lakers in 2010. Staff contributor and Celtics writer Cassidy Lessner also feels Boston will finish in first in the East with a final record of 62-20 in the regular season. We have them beating the 76ers in six games in the East finals, and then eventually falling to the Western Conference Champion Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors in six games in the NBA finals. This years team does have the roster however to surprise us all and raise banner 18 to the rafters of TD Garden. Stay tuned on what will certainly be an exciting season for the green and white.
