Boston Celtics Season Outlook

By Ben Friend

It's championship or bust for the Boston Celtics this season, and there is no denying that they have the roster to get it done. After falling short the last two seasons in both the NBA Finals and the Eastern Conference Finals it was clear that the Celtics were right at the edge of a championship team, but they seemingly needed one more piece to get them over the hump. And while the Celtics were not expected to make lots of noise coming into the offseason, they did just that.

After losing game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals (ECF) to the Miami Heat last season, there were many questions raised about the future of this team and if it was time to shake up the core. Most observers expected that only a couple small moves would be made to improve the team, but on the 21st of June, General Manager Brad Stevens shocked the NBA world and Celtics fans. Marcus Smart, the heart and soul of this Celtics squad was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal that involved the Celtics, Grizzlies, and Wizards. In return, the Celtics received 7’3 Kristaps Porzingis from the Wizards, a former 4th overall pick to the New York Knicks. Though the Celtics lost a former Defensive Player of the Year and one of their team leaders, it was seemingly time for a change. Unlike Smart, Kristaps Porzingis has the potential to be a strong presence inside and outside while creating room and opportunity for Celtics’ stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. With this addition, the Celtics can space the floor even more as Porzingis has a great outside shot, and with a solid rim protector it will be very hard to crack through the Celtics on the defensive side of the ball. Porzingis had a career year on the Wizards last season, averaging 23.2 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game. Though it hurts to lose Marcus Smart, Porzingis truly could be what gets the Celtics over the hump.

Coming into the offseason, there were many questions about Jaylen Brown's future in Boston as he had the option to sign a supermax extension. After having a rough series vs. the Heat, people were skeptical about whether Brown deserved this huge contract, but to the Celtics, there was nothing more important than keeping Jaylen in the organization for the next few years. Brown signed a 5-year, $304 million dollar extension, becoming the highest paid player in NBA history. With this move, on top of the addition of Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics looked primed for another NBA finals run, but Brad Stevens was not done yet.

While Brad was busy working on the Porzingis trade and Brown contract, our conference rival Milwaukee Bucks made arguably the biggest move of the offseason, trading veteran guard Jrue Holiday and other assets to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard. With this move, the Bucks became the favorites to come out of the East. Though the Celtics with Porzingis already had the roster to compete with this team, they smartly continued their search for more firepower. Thus, when the Trail Blazers said they were open to trading former Buck Jrue Holiday, Brad Stevens went right after him and made it happen. The Celtics traded away Center Robert Williams III and Malcom Brogdon in exchange for Holiday, one of the league's premier defenders and former Sixth-Man of the Year. Giving up Williams III and Brogdon are expensive moves for the C’s as they exit their top bench scorer and one of the top rim protectors in the league, but it may be worth it for the kind of player they are getting with Jrue Holiday. The Celtics have been seeking a true point guard for a very long time and they finally have one who also happens to be one of the best players night in and night out on the defensive side of the ball.

Here's what we can expect this season from this new-look Celtics squad: Derrick White and Jrue Holiday will give nightmares to other teams around the league as they look to be one of the best backcourt pairings in the league, as well as the best defensive backcourt in the NBA. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown should continue their dominance on the offensive end, and they both have expressed their goals of being All-NBA level defenders this season. Kristaps Porzingis will add a whole new dimension of offense to the squad with his outside shot and his outstanding post-up game, but we will have to see if he can stay healthy for most of the season. Though there are some concerns about the Celtics lack of depth beyond this powerful starting five plus veteran Al Horford coming off the bench, this team looks geared up for another shot at the NBA Finals. With what look to be brilliant off-season moves by Stevens, the new-look Celtics are many NBA fans preseason favorites to win the whole thing.