For the first time in years, the Boston Celtics will head into a new NBA season without the expectation of contending for a championship on their shoulders.
Brad Stevens’ decision to trade Jaylen Brown and work toward resetting the repeater tax has ensured Boston is expected to fight an uphill battle.
Nevertheless, the Celtics still boast a roster that contains Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Paul George, and Payton Pritchard. That quartet is enough to keep Joe Mazzulla’s team competitive in the coming months.
Former Celtics guard Jeff Teague isn’t buying into the Celtics having a low ceiling this season, either. During a recent episode of his “Club 520” podcast, Teague explained why he believes Boston is still a genuine championship threat in the Eastern Conference.
“The Celtics might be (top) three. They might be better than the Sixers. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a better season than the Sixers,” Teague said. “They all play a role, man…They already got their roster intact. They don’t have to discover anything.”
Mazzulla’s system should be enough to ensure Boston contends near the top of the East next season. However, if they’re going to emerge as genuine contenders, some of the younger players will need to take a developmental leap. Fortunately for the Celtics, they have numerous young options to lean on.
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Is Feeling “Great”
Boston’s biggest swing factor in the upcoming season will be the health and availability of Jayson Tatum. The superstar forward is heading into his first full season since tearing his Achilles.
When speaking to to the Media on Thursday, Oct. 1, Tatum noted that he feels ‘great’ following a full offseason to work on his body.
“I feel great—16 months, October 12 will be 17 months. But obviously, I came back last March and I was cleared, but mentally, from a conditioning standpoint, I wasn’t myself,” Tatum said. “To me, when I came back, it was great from a mentality standpoint, just to kind of get over that hurdle of playing.”
Tatum continued.
“Even if I was at 80% myself, knowing that I could still be effective going into the offseason, knowing that I had the whole summer to get my body right, to get in the rhythm of playing basketball again. I feel so much more confident from a mental standpoint — and physically than I did last month. That’s just how it should be. It’s a long journey from the injury that I had. I am feeling great.”
If Tatum is fully healthy, it’s hard to rule out the Celtics’ chances of having another surprising year.
Celtics Face A Tough Eastern Conference
Another factor Celtics fans must face up to is that the Eastern Conference is stronger than last season. The Philadelphia 76ers have constructed a superteam. The Detroit Pistons doubled down on the shooting that saw them improve last season. Tyrese Haliburton getting healthy changes things for the Indiana Pacers.
Kawhi Leonard joining the Toronto Raptors makes them a threat, and, of course, the New York Knicks are the reigning champs.
Overcoming all those teams isn’t going to be easy for the Celtics. However, with a healthy roster, Mazzulla’s system, and Tatum hopefully back at his best, ruling Boston out before the season could be a mistake.
Former Celtics’ Guard Makes Bold Prediction For Upcoming Season