The 2019-20 edition of the Boston Celtics are getting set to open up their regular season schedule when they travel to Philadelphia to battle the Eastern Conference favorite 76ers at 8 p.m. Wednesday night.
Boston comes off a 2018-19 campaign where they finished 49-33 good enough for a fourth place Eastern Conference finish. The Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round before bowing out in the semifinal round 4-1 to the Milwaukee Bucks.
In the offseason the Celtics let Kyrie Irving go to Brooklyn to join the Nets, while also losing Al Horford who ends up with the 76ers. Also gone is Terry Rozier who joined the Charlotte Hornets, and Marcus Morris who went to the Big Apple to join the New York Knicks. Boston additions include guard Kemba Walker and center Enes Kanter. The rookie class is expected to be a strong one drafting Carsen Edwards, Grant Williams, Romeo Langford, Tremont Waters, and Javonte Green. Tacko Fall is also eligible to spend 45 days with the Celtics but is expected to play in Portland for the Maine Red Claws for most of the season in the NBA Development League. Fall who played for University of Central Florida is originally from Senegal and is 7 foot 6.
Returning to the team is Jaylen Brown who signed a four year/$115 million extension. Jayson Tatum who had a sophomore hangover needs to step up and lead this team more in his third season out of Duke. Gordon Hayward will be two years removed from his broken leg suffered in the first game of the 2017 season and is expected to be 100%. Robert Williams, Marcus Smart, Daniel Theis, Semi Ojeleye, and Brad Wannaker will provide depth. The starting five is expected to be Walker, Tatum, Kanter, Brown and Hayward. The first four games should be a good early test as they play on the road at the 76ers, home against the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors, at the New York Knicks, and then home against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Boston should up their win total by a few games this season with the departure of Irving who was a PR and locker room nightmare. Kanter has comparable career numbers as Horford but isn’t as strong at shooting the ball from away from the basket. Walker has averaged 20 points per game in his career and should give the Celtics a boost both with his play and attitude. Tatum and Brown both need to step up their game if this team wants to later advance at playoff time. Hayward many are saying is back in the same shape he was when he averaged 22.5 points a game before coming to Beantown from the Utah Jazz.
PREDICTION- 51-31, 3rd place in Eastern Conference, lose in Eastern Conference semifinals. Boston will be right in the mix around second or third with Milwaukee. I expect Philadelphia to win 60 games and be the #1 seed. Like any sport if this team can stay healthy it would not be surprising to see them playing in the Eastern Conference Finals against the 76ers, however I am not ready to pick them to get there just yet. I expect them to fall in the semifinals for the second straight season.
