The Boston Celtics tip off their season tonight against the 76ers, and they enter the year with the most optimism since Paul Pierce's final year in Beantown. While they are definitely still in rebuilding mode, it seems as if Danny Ainge has finally put together some pieces on this team that are going to be in it for the long haul. The most important piece he has obtained in this franchise's revamp is undoubtedly Brad Stevens. Not only is Stevens the type of guy that you would trust with making every one of your own life decisions, he is a fantastic basketball mind that seems to get the most out of his players. Any guy that can bring a school like Butler, which has the same student population as a large high school, to back to back title appearances has to be some sort of a basketball Messiah. He also took the Celtics (a roster which consisted of about 94 unique players over the course of the season) to the playoffs which may be equally as impressive as what he did at Butler. He is definitely the right guy for the job, and Celtics fans should hope he is here for the rest of his coaching career. Stay away, Hoosiers. Stevens is our man.
Let's take a look at what this year's squad can bring to the table. Danny Ainge wasn't able to pull off any blockbuster moves like he wanted to, but he added some very solid players to an already deep team. According to the ESPN NBA Player Rankings for this season, the Celtics may actually have the best 10-man rotation in the league as they were the only team with 10 guys inside of the top 200.
You hear that!?! The Celtics' 10th best player is better than the Spurs' 10th best guy, and the Warriors', and the Cavs'! I'm already thinking about where I want to stand for the impending Championship Parade. I bet Kelly Olynyk gets his own Duck Boat. It's only fair that the Finals MVP gets one.
New Additions
The Celtics had to find a way to cope with the losses of Brandon Bass, former All Star/GOAT Gerald Wallace, and all-around Bad Boy Gigi Datome. In all seriousness, Brandon Bass was actually a great player during his time in Boston. While he was a bit undersized for his position, he was an absolute Gruden Grinder on the hardwood and somehow had a money mid-range jumper despite his questionable shooting form. Now let's see the new faces that will be on the court this season in Green.
Amir Johnson
One of the biggest problems for the Celtics last season was their inability to defend down low. With the addition of Johnson, the C's now have their best interior defender since KG. Obviously he isn't the same player as KG, but Amir Johnson is going to provide 25-30 minutes of solid defense each night. He isn't the type of guy to demand the ball on offense, but he is more than capable of knocking down mid-range jumpers and cleaning up on the offensive glass. While it wasn't a blockbuster acquisition, this move is one that can help increase the team's win total by 3-5 games.
David Lee
Lee may not be the double-double machine he once was, but he is still a player that would find himself any other team's regular rotation. He is fresh off of a title run with the Warriors, and will be a great player to have around considering most Celtics were born in the 90's. He can show the young players the ropes while also ripping down some boards down low. Doesn't sound bad for a guy looking for an expanded role from last year.
The Rookies
While Marcus Thornton may have taken his talents to Australia this season, I still consider the Celtics to have four rookies on this team if you count James Young. Young bounced back and forth between Boston and the D-League last season because he was unable to find minutes in the rotation last year. It's my hope that he gets a chance to have an expanded role this year because I think he can develop into an above-average player especially on the offensive end. However, that could be tough when you consider the depth that this team has at the guard position.
The same can be said for Terry Rozier and R.J. Hunter. Danny Ainge shocked pretty much every fan when he took Rozier with the C's first selection in this year's draft. The team seemed to be set with guards Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, and Isaiah Thomas, so the selection of Rozier has to make one think that a trade in the future is coming. Rozier finished his sophomore year as the leading scorer for the Louisville Cardinals, and has shown he has no problem getting to the rim in the past. The main questions with him are how his offensive game will translate to the pros and whether or not there is going to be a significant role for him this season.
R.J. Hunter was the talk of March Madness' first weekend, when he led his Georgia State team (coached by his Dad) to an upset over 3-seeded Baylor. Hunter was pegged as perhaps the best pure shooter in the 2015 draft, and has the potential to be a respected scorer in the league. While Avery Bradley has greatly improved his outside shooting, the Celtics have not had a truly dependable outside threat in a number of years and Hunter has the chance to be that guy for them if he is given the minutes by Coach Stevens.
Jordan Mickey is an interesting prospect for the Celtics. Taken in the second-round of the 2015 draft, Mickey immediately impressed the Celtics brass and was signed upon conclusion of the Utah and Vegas summer leagues. A two-time All-Defensive team member in the SEC, the former LSU product has a real chance to see playing time right out of the gate due to his ability to guard athletic wing players with his 6'8'' frame.
Prediction
Last year, the Celtics finished 24-13 in the final three months of the season. The deadline trade that brought in Isaiah Thomas was the boost that this team needed in order to make the late playoff run that they had. Is it crazy to think that they can keep up or possibly exceed the pace that they finished at last season? It probably would considering that would lead to a 53-29 record. However, it is not out of the realm of possibility that this team gets past the 45-win mark when you factor in the additions they made this offseason. Another year of experience for the younger guys, and especially a (hopefully) healthier year for second-year PG Marcus Smart should undoubtedly lead to an improvement off of last year's 40-42 record. There is no superstar on this team, but they will be able to suit up 11-12 players every night that would crack the rotation on most legitimate contenders. If/when an injury happens, there is perhaps no team that is better equipped to handle it than the Celtics.
Final Prediction: 46-36, 2nd-place in the Atlantic behind Toronto, 2nd Round Playoff exit, and Brad Stevens cures cancer.
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