The Boston Celtics are the greatest franchise is NBA history but in recent history that has not been evident. Last season the Celtics were led by their undersized point guard Isaiah Thomas and coached by Brad Stevens. They surprised the majority of NBA fans as they ended with a 48-34 record and gave the Atlanta Hawks a good playoff series before being eliminated. And now the Celtics have got better as they added Al Horford and some young talent. With Horford’s arrival and a more healthy roster than last season, how far can the Boston Celtics get this season?
Al Horford’s Impact:
Al Horford is an experienced player with nine seasons played and he has proven to be very consistent. Last season, Horford played all 82 games and averaged 15.2 PPG 7.3 RPG 3.2 APG and 1.5 BPG. As opposed to Jared Sullinger, last season’s starting center for the Celtics, this is a big improvement. Al Horford brings more scoring ability, a bigger defensive presence, and more leadership abilities.
Boston Celtics Depth Chart:
PG: Isaiah Thomas/ Marcus Smart/ Terry Rozier
SG: Avery Bradley/ Gerald Green/ R.J. Hunter/ James Young
SF: Jae Crowder/ Jaylen Brown
PF: Amir Johnson/ Tyler Zeller/ Jonas Jerebko/ Jordan Mickey
C: Al Horford/ Kelly Olynyk
(Roster from foxsports.com)
The Boston Celtics Potential This Season:
This roster could be deadly for other teams as it provides everything a team needs. Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder are both great perimeter defenders and Al Horford and Amir Johnson have the ability to stop people inside. This lineup also has several people who can consistently shoot from behind the three-point line including Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Gerald Green, R.J. Hunter, Jae Crowder, Jonas Jerebko, Al Horford, and Kelly Olynyk. With the great defensive starting lineup that the Celtics have, and the amount of shooters they have, it will be hard for most teams to outscore them.
The Celtics were a great team last season, and they will be even better this season with Al Horford, but the Eastern Conference is becoming tougher. The Eastern Conference has good teams including the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Washington Wizards. All of these teams would give the Boston Celtics trouble, but the Celtics would have a serious chance of winning. If these were all the major teams in the eastern conference, the Boston Celtics would have a chance at being in the NBA Finals, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are in the eastern conference, and almost anyone would agree that nobody in the eastern conference will dethrone “The King” LeBron James.
The Boston Celtics will be one of the best teams in the east next season, and they will do great in the playoffs, but due to the Cleveland Cavaliers they almost have no chance at making the NBA Finals. If in the near future the Celtics sign a big free agent like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, or Kawhi Leonard they will have a chance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but until then Boston will have to settle for losing in the Eastern Conference Finals at best.
