Tag Archives: Boston Celtics

Why is Jaylen Brown Being Overlooked?

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Jaylen Brown’s name hasn’t popped up much this summer.

Celtics players, staff, and fans are all preparing for training camp to open soon. As such, the hype surrounding the team continues to accumulate, and rightfully so. With the team fully healthy, the league and its fans are ready for the Celtics to make some noise. All summer long, fans have been raving about the return of Gordon Hayward, or the emergence of Jayson Tatum. Marcus Smart’s name was even thrown into the mix when he signed a new deal. One name that fans haven’t heard at all? That of Jaylen Brown.

However, Brown’s name should be showing up far more than it is. While people tend to look right at Kyrie Irving, Hayward, Tatum or even Al Horford, no one is giving Brown the attention he deserves. When given the choice between Brown and Tatum, most fans say that Tatum is better. Here’s why the third-year player deserves more hype heading into this season.

A Closer Look

Brown’s Impact Last Year

When ranking this year’s projected starting five, number 7 is often mentioned last. However, behind Kyrie, Brown was second on the team in scoring last year, with 14.5 points per game. Granted, Hayward was out, but most nights the team looked to him as the second option. In the playoffs, the spotlight was rightfully on Jayson Tatum as he scored 18.5 playoff points per game. However, Brown was right on his heels, with 18.0 points. He also had more rebounds than Tatum in the postseason. His impact on the team last year is overlooked far too often.

His Ability to Improve

The jump from year 1 to year 2 for Jaylen was absolutely incredible. He improved in nearly every statistical category. His PPG jumped from 6.6 to 14.5. He increased his rebounds per game from 2.8 to 4.9. His assists improved from 0.8 to 1.6 APG. He improved on the defensive end too, averaging 1.0 steals per game last year, up from 0.4. His blocks also took a small leap. It’s practically unheard of for a player to improve in every single one of those categories. To top it all off, his three-point percentage leaped from 34% to 39%. Unreal.

The kicker? Jaylen Brown is 21 years old. He’s not even sniffing his prime yet. Brown has at least three seasons to go before he starts entering the prime of his career. He doesn’t have to come close to the level of improvement from last year. If he’s anywhere in the ballpark, the kid is going to be a huge weapon on both sides of the ball this year.

There’s a reason that Danny Ainge considers and has always considered Jaylen Brown untouchable. When fans are in awe of Kyrie’s handles or a Tatum trey, they often forget about the highlight-reel slams from number 7. Jaylen Brown is an extremely valuable player on this roster and deserves far more recognition than he is receiving. This upcoming season, look out for Brown to have the best season of his young career. And just remember: he’s only getting better.

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Ray Allen Reflects on Time in Boston

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Ray Allen has long been a controversial figure in Boston.

However, the legendary shooting guard seems to look back fondly on his time as a Celtic. Allen entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. Earlier in the week, he set Celtics fans abuzz when he suggested to Shams Charania that he did not expect to receive congratulations from his former teammates. Later in the week, Allen did a customary interview as part of his Hall of Fame induction trip. He had many interesting things to say about his experience in Beantown.

His Comments

“People look at how I left, but I look at how I lived when I was there,” Ray told media on Thursday night. He’s not wrong- Allen was certainly the target of a lot of anger after he left the team. Allen departed Boston after the 2012 season due to apparent internal rifts with other players. The main culprit was then-point guard Rajon Rondo. That wasn’t the kicker, however. He left to go play on the defending champion Miami Heat with Lebron James. The Heat had become rivals with the Celtics, beating them on their way to the title that year. Allen also took nearly half as much money as Boston offered to take a far less lucrative offer from Miami.

Allen offered his take on that, too:

“Now, I do understand the angst that people have towards me…But, it becomes such a business that you ultimately have to decide when it’s time to fold up the tent. You gotta move on. There’s so many factors in play.”

No doubt some of those factors were the aforementioned Rondo disputes. It also may have had to do with the rising of young guard Avery Bradley at that time. But Allen has a point, it is a business. He felt that was the best path for him to wind down his career. He retired two years later.

Allen’s time in Boston meant the world to him

Allen doesn’t look back with regrets or anger, though. He said, “That to me is the most important time in my life because I had never won. And I was able to win. And that’s probably the most important thing that I want people to remember, is the time we spent together.” After years of bitter and petty feuding with members of the Celtics, it’s somewhat shocking to hear Allen call his tenure “the most important time in my life.” But he is has a point. He had enduring a long stretch in his career where he was unable to have any success. Though he became one of the greatest shooters of all time, he never won until he went to Boston.

Though many fans remember his exit, they also remember the banner he helped bring to Boston after 22 years. He was crucial in that 2008 playoff run, as the team went on a magical spurt against Detroit and LeBron’s Cavs. They then dispatched the Lakers in six games in the Finals behind Allen’s sharpshooting.

In the end, that’s the part of Allen’s legacy that will be immortalized in Boston lore, much like Allen is being immortalized in Springfield, MA.

You Won’t Believe What NBA Legend Grant Hill Had to Say About Jayson Tatum

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Spoiler Alert! Jayson Tatum is a good basketball player. The expectations for Tatum’s sophomore season, and his career, are soaring. After polishing off one of the greatest individual playoff runs in NBA history for a Rookie, people are talking about BIG things for the young star.

How Big, You Ask?

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame big. Fellow Duke basketball alumni and NBA legend Grant Hill will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame on Friday, and he believes Jayson Tatum will follow suite one day.

“I think he’s on his way,” Hill told MassLive’s Tom Westerholm. “… He’s in a great situation, which is really good. In some ways you could say it’s a blessing and a curse. Because (the Celtics) are so talented, he doesn’t have to do as much, which is great for a young player, and they have a chance to win a championship, and have a lot of runway for the next five, six, eight years. But also it doesn’t really allow us to see the full package. I think we did see that last year when injuries hit that team, and now it was like they needed him to show and prove, and he did. And he was just a rookie. 19 years old. I think time. Time is what he needs, and I can’t wait to watch and see what he ultimately becomes. It’s scary.”

This comes on the heels of comments made by former NBA All-Star turned ESPN Analyst Stephen Jackson. Jackson was speaking about Boston’s expectations for the upcoming season, and casually mentioned that he believes Jayson Tatum will be a top 10 player in the NBA by season’s end. Wow.

So, there you have it. The bottom line is- Tatum has an immense amount of expectations to live up to. These former NBA legends believe he has what it takes to cement his place among the league’s best. If Jayson Tatum proved anything his Rookie season, it’s that he has all of the talent necessary to get the job done.

Are the Boston Celtics Too Deep?

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I’m sure the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings among others would love to be in the position the Boston Celtics are in. The franchise hasn’t missed the playoffs since the 2013-14 Season, yet lottery picks continue to pour in due to Danny Ainge’s brilliancy in the trade market. They boast three perennial All-Star talents in Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford. Oh, and the ‘other’ two guys in the starting lineup aren’t too bad, either. Boston has the potential to send five guys to the All-Star game this season. In more ways than one, this team stacks up relatively well to the likes of the juggernaut Golden State Warriors. They also happen to be younger.

Boston Boasts Arguably the Deepest Bench in the League

SOURCE: AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Depth on this roster is no issue, either. Terry Rozier blew up last season as a key contributor down the stretch and throughout the playoffs. The 24-year-old point guard out of Louisville has been mentioned in the same sentence as Kemba Walker and Dame Lillard, both All-Star talents. Oh, and he isn’t even this team’s sixth man. That role belongs to $52 million-dollar man Marcus Smart. After signing a $13 million per year deal that retains his services in Boston for the next four years, Smart has now become one of the league’s highest paid bench players.

Worth it? Undoubtedly. The bulldog out of Oklahoma State won’t blow anyone away on the stat sheet, but he is the ultimate competitor and a true winner. He does all of the dirty things needed to be done to win, whether it’s ripping down a big rebound over a seven-footer to secure a big possession, or diving on the floor for a loose ball seconds after returning from a major injury.

The bench depth continues to roll on from there. Marcus Morris adds a lethal one-on-one option. ‘All of Australia’ Aron Baynes is a big body that started in 67 games for the C’s last season. Baynes is a starting caliber center that also happens to statistically be one of the best defensive players in the league. German forward Daniel Theis will assuredly compete for some quality minutes this season, perhaps against Rookie first round pick Robert Williams. Semi Ojeleye played some big minutes last season, often times tasked with locking down the opposition’s best player. Anyone remember when Semi bodied up Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Playoffs?

Believe in Brad Stevens

BOSTON, MA – MARCH 22: Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics goes over the next play with Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Indiana Pacers on March 22, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

No matter how you slice it, this team is DEEP and talented. Regardless of the position on the floor, there is a guy on this team that can step in and more than hold their own. That is just how Brad Stevens has designed this team to be. He likes interchangeability and trusts each player on his roster to perform when called upon. He gets the most out of the players he coaches because he believes in allowing them to play within themselves and refuses to limit a guy because of a weakness they may have. The trust he offers each player is returned, and that trust builds confidence. That confidence translates into production.

Now, Brad Stevens has yet another major task ahead of him. How will he find a way to manage arguably the deepest roster the NBA has to offer? Quite honestly, it’s a curious problem to have. Every team out there across any sport or level of play would love to have this ‘problem’.

Good Problem or No Problem?

Stevens, known as a bit of a playful guy with the media, had a humorous but logical response when asked about this ‘good problem’.

“I don’t think it’s any secret to anybody that there’s only 240 minutes in a game,” Stevens said. “If we all struggle with that more than just the human nature of being disappointed if you get taken out — that’s OK, that’s part of it — but if we struggle with that, then we won’t be very good. And if we don’t, we’ll have a chance to be pretty good.”

Of course, this would be an easy problem to solve if there were 240 minutes in a game. But to Stevens, it sounds like there isn’t an issue at all here. He even has the rotations written up ahead of training camp, and at this point is more concerned with ‘how’ they will play versus ‘who’ will play.

“I’m more focused on how we want to play than how we’re going to rotate,” Stevens said. “I mean, if last year’s not the best example, I don’t know what would be. Things can change. Your rotation can change in a heartbeat. So, you can work all summer on it, and you’ve got to adjust in one day. I think the bottom line is we have an idea of who will play together and who best fits together and what lineups we think we’ll try to use, but we’ll see how it all shakes itself out.”

It All Comes Down to Coach Stevens

(11/12/2017- Boston, MA) With 12 wins in a row, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has a lot to smile about during a victory over the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Staff Photo by Matt West

The bottom line here is that as long as the team buys into the Brad Stevens philosophy and trusts that he will steer them in the right direction, this team will be successful. If this group of individuals can find a way to set aside their egos and personal desires for the betterment of the team there is no limit to what they can accomplish. Depth is a good problem to have, so long as the players have faith in their leader. Lucky for Boston, Brad Stevens may just be the finest leader out there.

Boston Celtics’ Rookie Robert Williams Still Not Cleared for 5-On-5 Action

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Robert Williams has been battling knee tendonitis since the end of his college tenure with Texas A&M. The big man managed to play in only six minutes of Summer League before colliding with a 76er, and missed the rest of the action after reaggravating the injury.

With Training Camp Around the Corner, Williams Looks to Get Back on Track Quick

Training camp is just a few weeks away, but Williams has been working hard to make a comeback as efficiently as possible.

“Still taking it day by day,” Williams said. “There’s people that have a lot of time, a lot of money invested in you now, they don’t want to mess up what they got going. But I’m thankful for the trainers and the coaches, just taking it day by day.”

He understands the situation he is in and just wants to get back to healthy playing shape as soon as possible. Williams has spoken highly of the Celtics organization and their patience in dealing with his injury. He also see’s this down time as an opportunity to learn the X’s and O’s of the offense and all of the other technical aspects of being an NBA player.

“Just strengthening places I need to strengthen,” Williams said. “Obviously my knee, obviously knowing what’s going on out there on the court, knowing the calls before (Brad Stevens) throws in me a 5-on-5 game. He’s been teaching me actually the past couple days, just hammering in the calls, all the play names, all the big names for things, so it’s just been a great perspective, a great opportunity.”

Williams Expected to Be ‘Full Go’ by Training Camp

After a rough start to his career with the post Draft issues, Williams already looks like he is maturing and beginning to take a more level-headed approach moving forward.

Brad Stevens expects a fully healthy roster by the start of training camp, so chances are Williams will be cleared for 5-on-5 in the near future. Hopefully the big man can stay healthy this season, as he will have his plate full proving that he deserves a spot on this already loaded roster.

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 43 Days

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Welcome Back to the Celtics Season Tipoff Countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (September 3rd). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (43 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

Danny Ainge recently opened up about the Kyrie Irving trade from last summer, and had this to say;

“I feel like there’s opportunities that you have to look at and explore, and Kyrie was one of those opportunities that, unanimously, internally it was something that we all felt like we should do,” Ainge said told ESPN. “Everybody, unanimously, wanted to do it.”

There is no doubt that Boston has zero regrets regarding this move. Both Isaiah Thomas and Jay Crowder finished the season on different teams, and the Brooklyn pick landed at No 8.

That being said- watch out for Collin Sexton (Cleveland’s selection with the pick). He averaged 19.6 points in the Summer League and is highly regarded by his fellow Rookies. If he pans out then Cleveland will be in decent shape post fallout of the Irving trade.

On This Date

Not a whole lot going on for this date in Celtics history, but on September 3, 2008 Oklahoma City team officials unveiled their new team name and logo. On this date in history the Seattle Supersonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Stats (2017-18)

Image Courtesy of Sports Illustrated

Jayson Tatum shot 43% from 3 for the season, good for 8th in the NBA. Not bad for a guy with shooting range question marks entering the league!

Boston collectively shot 43% from the field in the 2017-18 postseason. The team played in 19 total games, finishing 1 win shy of reaching the NBA Finals.

Fun Facts

Image Courtesy of Cavs Nation

NBA.com ranked Kendrick Perkins as the 43rd best Celtic of all-time! He had a solid 8 year career in a Celtic uniform, from 2003-2011. Perkins was an integral piece of the 08’ Championship run, holding down the paint as one of the better centers in the league. He averaged 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in his tenure with Boston.

On March 18th, 2013 Jeff Green put up a whopping 43 points in a 105-103 loss to the Miami Heat.

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Check back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 44 Days

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Welcome Back to the Celtics Season Tipoff Countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (September 2nd). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (44 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

Terry Rozier made headlines yesterday when his name was mentioned in Phoenix Suns trade rumors. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports’ 98.7 Radio Show, Rozier was targeted by the Suns to fill their starting point guard role. The Suns struck out and, at least for the time being, Scary Terry remains in Celtic green.

 

2K Sports released their NBA 2k19 player ratings, and boy were they fans of the Celtics this year! Here is a quick rundown of the ratings for the starting 5:
• Kyrie Irving- 93
• Gordon Hayward- 88
• Jayson Tatum- 87
• Al Horford- 86
• Jaylen Brown- 84

The most notable rating on this list has got to be Tatum’s. The 20-year-old just polished off a phenomenal rookie campaign, but many feel that an 87 overall rating is still a tad high for such a young prospect. Then again, Tatum could blow the doors off of these expectations and elevate his game to a whole new level.

On This Date

September 1st, 2017: Kyrie Irving gives his first Celtics jersey to his father after being officially announced a Boston Celtic. Check out the video below!

Stats (2017-18)

Image Courtesy of The Athletic

Marcus Smart finished the 2017-18 regular season with a 44% AFG. Affective Field Goal Percentage basketball accounts for the added point the three-point basket provides. Though teams generally shoot a lower percentage in a traditional sense, this provides a more accurate description of the number of points a team will score by upwardly adjusting the FG% on those baskets to account for the added point, and downwardly adjusting the 3-point basket to two points… more or less. It provides 1 number that describes all baskets.

Fun Facts

Jersey number 44 is a particularly famous one in Celtics history. It has been worn by 11 different players in the history of the franchise. Danny Ainge, Pete Maravich, Rick Fox, and Brian Scalabrine are some of the more notable players on the list. The most recent player to don 44 for the C’s was Tyler Zeller in the 2016-17 season.

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to be back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

 

After a Trade Offer from Phoenix, is Terry Rozier on His Way Out?

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Terry Rozier might be the most polarizing Celtic of the summer.

After a monster playoff run from the young point guard in June, rumors flew about a future role with the team. As Kyrie Irving returns to the court, Rozier has to return to the bench and play behind the superstar once again. On Friday, a report from an Arizona radio station got rumor mills churning again.

Arizona Sports 98.7 broke news that the Suns had apparently attempted to trade for a “front-tier point guard”. Among their targets were Damian Lillard, Kemba Walker, and-you guessed it- Boston’s own Terry Rozier. Obviously, their efforts were unsuccessful. However, even after a big trade with the Rockets, Phoenix may not be done yet. Even if the Suns don’t end up with Rozier, is he on his way out of Boston?

A Potential Suns Exchange

After dealing Brandon Knight away to Houston, the Suns are extremely thin at point guard. Devin Booker is an established star at the shooting guard, but Phoenix is in need of a ballhandler. Terry Rozier appears to be a prime candidate for the position. It’s unclear what the Suns would send to Boston in return for Rozier, but it’s unlikely they’d want to deal any of their young core. Players like Dragan Bender and Josh Jackson are probably off the table. That doesn’t leave Phoenix with very many valuable players.

Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

However, there are still intriguing assets on the Suns. TJ Warren, just 25, could be another addition to Boston’s stash of lengthy wings. Troy Daniels, a shooting guard, is another potential target. There’s also the potential that Danny Ainge wants to add to his draft pick cache. The Suns have their own first rounder next year, as well as a protected first from the Bucks. If Danny plays his cards correctly, the Celtics could end up with some valuable assets if a trade materializes.

Aspirations of Stardom

Even if Terry Rozier doesn’t end up going to the Suns, there’s still a lot of support for the idea that he’ll be shipped out soon. As mentioned before, Rozier is going to have to take a backseat to Kyrie. Only time will tell if he’s going to accept that role. He’s said that he’s ready and willing to return to the bench, but will he walk the walk?

There’s also the matter of Rozier’s impending free agency. He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer. Now that he’s showed he has what it takes to lead a team, the offers Rozier will receive will likely far exceed what Boston is able to shell out to retain him. If he wants a starting role in the league, he’ll be eager to sign with another team in free agency. That deal will likely be worth a large sum of money. Now that Marcus Smart has resigned for four years, Rozier might not be willing to fight with him for minutes forever.

If the team knows that’s going to happen, they’ll be quick to deal him to a team that is in need of a point guard. Whether it be for players or draft picks, Danny Ainge won’t run the risk of having Rozier walk in the offseason. He definitely won’t allow the Celtics to be left empty-handed. If there’s an opportunity to get a good haul for the point guard, Boston will seize it.

photo by Christopher Evans

There’s no doubt that Rozier is an extremely valuable player on this Celtics roster. However, he might not be part of the team for much longer. If teams keep pursuing him, an offer might be too good to pass up.

 

 

ESPN Releases Projected Records For The 2019 NBA Season

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ESPN Pegs Golden State as Consensus No.1, Boston Not far Behind

In what may come as a surprise to nobody, the Golden State Warriors are projected to win 53.8 games this season. ESPN had recently dropped their projected win totals for all 30 NBA teams. Rounding out the top 3 for the Western Conference is the Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Eastern Conference shows little surprise as well. The Boston Celtics earned a projected 51.1 wins. With Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving ready to rumble, this team is finally back to full strength. This Celtics team can and will give the Warriors a huge run for their money this season.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors round out the top 3. Both teams are great second tier talents. They just do not have enough to keep up with this dangerous and versatile Celtics roster.

The 2019 NBA Draft Could be Boom or Bust for Boston

One of the biggest implications towards next year’s draft would be the projected record of the Sacramento Kings. They owe Boston their first round pick( number 1 protected) which means that we own the pick as long as it doesn’t land number 1 overall. Sacramento is going in no apparent direction at the moment and appears in all likelihood to be the worst team in the league this year. ESPN has their projected win total set at a league low 25.4 wins. Under the new lottery rules if Sacramento finishes the season with the worst record the No.1 pick would land in the hands of the 76ers. That would be a disastrous outcome for Boston.

This is a stacked draft class this year, as some pretty good freshman can go one and done. Zion Williamson, Rj Barrett, Nassir Little, Cam Reddish, and Bol Bol are all great talents. There are a lot of guys from Duke this year.   Not to mention the Celtics can also take the Memphis Grizzlies’ first rounder as long as it falls outside the top 8. Boston could have as many as four first rounders this year. If disaster strikes they could be handing over their golden pick to the rival 76ers. We shall see in due time.

While this season can and will be something to watch for Boston fans, we still have teams to keep an eye on throughout the season. Be sure to root for Sacramento to be bad, but not THAT bad. Let’s hope Memphis can land somewhere in the back half of the bottom 10 teams. The future of this team looks bright.

ESPN’s BPI Predicts Celtics-Warriors 2019 NBA Finals Matchup

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News flash everyone! The Boston Celtics are going to be a great team this year. As long as Gordon Hayward doesn’t attempt another alley-oop dunk or Kyrie Irving doesn’t have a zen moment and realize he doesn’t want to play basketball, this team is on a direct flight to the NBA Finals.

Boston Lands in a Favorable Spot in the Finals Odds Prediction

ESPN’s BPI, which is a machine generated predictive metric, gives the Celtics the best odds to win the Eastern Conference and plots them at 2nd to win the whole enchilada. Shockingly (kidding), the Golden State Warriors are once again the overwhelming favorites to win it all.

Here’s ESPN’s rationale behind these odds;

“Two reasons. First, the aforementioned departure of James, which helps free up the East and removes a major obstacle in Boston’s path,” ESPN’s Neil Johnson and Seth Walder wrote. “Second, rising expectations for the Celtics, given how well the team played in the face of major injuries and the breakout of Jayson Tatum. Boston’s defensive BPI rating (3.7) has more than doubled from this time last year (1.5).”

Think Twice About Betting Against this Celtics Squad

Image courtesy of the Boston Globe

At this point, who would realistically bet against this squad? This is a team that was a single win away from an NBA Finals birth a few short months ago despite season ending injuries to arguably their top 2 players. The man who beat them last year just enrolled his son into a school in LA and will be playing ball in the Western Conference. The East leading Toronto Raptors fired the Coach of the Year and shipped out one half of the deadly duo that made them relevant the past few seasons. To replace DeRozan, they got a talented yet disgruntled player who quit on his team last year. Oh, and he doesn’t even want anything to do with Toronto.

The 76ers are good, and will be a threat to the Celtics’ dynasty run moving forward, but not quite yet. Boston dismantled Philly in 5 games last year while Terry Rozier consistently made a mockery of their defense. I know it is tempting to ‘Trust the Process’, but I would be cautious about dropping the confetti too early on the 76ers’ championship aspirations.

Boston boasts the best finisher and ball handler the league has to offer in Kyrie Irving. They employ a duo of some of the best two-way players in the league in Gordon Hayward and Al Horford. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have superstar level ceilings and just finished embarrassing their opposition throughout the playoffs. The Celtics have debatably the top bench in all of basketball, making them the deepest team in the league. Brad Stevens is already one of the NBA’s best coaches and is only getting started.

A New Era

All of the stars are beginning to align on a new era for the Celtics. An era without a King. The Eastern Conference is completely up for grabs now more than it has been in nearly 10 years. It’s time for a new participant in the championship series, and, at least according to ESPN, that team is the Boston Celtics.