Boston Celtics 2018-19
Preview
After a 55-27 regular season finish and a heartbreaking game 7 ECF loss to future Lakers forward LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics look to recover post a season full of overachievements & injuries.
Teams to Look Out For
In the East the Boston Celtics’ biggest threats (as of August 9, 2018) include:
Toronto Raptors, who flipped one of their all-time franchise players in DeMar DeRozan, who once again performed rather poorly in the playoffs, for a disgruntled superstar out of San Antonio in Kawhi Leonard, packaged with a solid 3-and-D player in Danny Green. These two paired with English sophomore OG Anunoby and Congolese veteran Serge Ibaka, have the potential to cause significant problems for the Boston Celtics on the offensive side of the ball. This isn’t necessarily to say that the Celtics don’t have a defensive stud themselves in Marcus Smart, who just signed an extension for 4yrs/$52m (total), and leads the Celtics in DWS (Defensive Win Shares) with .056, followed by Jaylen Brown (.054), Jayson Tatum (.053), and Al Horford (.052), according to NBA.com.
Philadelphia 76ers, who went 52-30, having their first season over .500 since the 2004-05 season with Allen Iverson leading the way, and their first season winning 50 games since 2000-01. That being said, they will be bringing back Markelle Fultz, who suffered Broken Jumpshot Syndrome over the entirety of the 2017-18 season, and is ready to comeback for a strong sophomore(ish) season. With additions such as former Nuggets veteran Wilson Chandler, as well as acquiring rookies Landry Shamet and Zhaire Smith in the draft.
The 76ers combination of skilled playmaking, shooting, and just all-around versatility could be a headache for the Boston Celtics defensively, combine that with the defensive prowess of Joel Embiid and Robert Covington, the 76ers definitely will test the C’s depth and coaching for this upcoming season.
Indiana Pacers, who, after trading dissatisfied All-Star to the OKC Thunder to play along side Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony in the western conference, added what would become not only the Most Improved Player, but also would average first-class stats of 23/5/4 and nearly 40.0% from downtown. Couple this with the addition of 20-point scorer Tyreke Evans, who realized his finest season since his rookie year, if the Celtics don’t perform on the defensive end like the team that was 3rd in least PAPG, they could really have trouble with them once they get to the rim.
Key Additions
Robert Williams III: An undersized, but nonetheless effective rim-roller and solid defensive big. Acquired at the draft, the 6’9”, Williams III will unquivocally have something to prove after dropping from a potential lottery pick to going #27, nearly out of the first round altogether, possibly because of work ethic issues, combined with his lack of size, something that will likely be more exposed at the NBA level. Despite this, I believe the 20-year-old center will have a solid season, and certainly career under Brad Stevens’ coaching, though we haven’t seen him since play extensive minutes since college, considering he was injured during his 1st summer league showing.
Gordon Hayward: Okay, I’m probably cheating here, as Hayward played 5 minutes in the first game before his leg just said ‘we’re not doing this again’ when trying to catch an alley-oop from Kyrie Irving, also his first game as a member of the Celtics. Ergo, I am including him on this list. Hayward is a 6’8” scoring machine, with a great combination of athleticism, shooting, and defense. Gordon Hayward, in his last full season, averaged 22/3/5 on 53% effective FG% with the Jazz, I forsee him making only his 2nd All-Star appearance in 2019 (if he can remain healthy, a question for many players in the NBA, in general), pairing his best season with the aforementioned 2017 one.
Key Losses
Greg Monroe: Not a ton to say here, though Monroe’s loss isn’t defined as necessarily desolating to the team, or anything quite to that impact, Monroe was still a solid bench piece on the offensive side of the ball, contributing decent post play and playmaking abilities, though was a certain liability on the defensive end, and provided no true spacing whatsoever. At only 28 years of age, a somehow aging Monroe had played for 3 teams (Bucks, Suns, Celtics) in 2018, and signed for a 1yr/$2.1m deal with the Toronto Raptors up north, who will be, say, a differing piece to the Raptors’ defensive-minded puzzle.
Conclusion
The Boston Celtics seem primed to not only improve their win/loss record, but are also the favorites to make it out of the East this upcoming season, considering LeBron James moved into the Western conference, after 8 straight finals appearances. This season is ring or bust, or at least finals or bust, as star PG Kyrie Irving is set to become a free agent in the summer of 2019, and with many reports circulating that Irving plans to, along with Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler, sign with the up-and-coming New York Knicks, and pair with Kristaps Porzingis, even more emphisizing, this could be one of the most influential Boston Celtic seasons in a very long time.
