Boston Celtics 2020 Preview

The Boston Celtics were a constant headache all last year. The Celtics finished the 2018-2019 season as the 4 seed in the East and a 2nd round playoff exit to the Bucks. Not ideal for a team that had such high expectations. Now Boston has undergone a face lift this offseason giving fans new hope? Well, we’ll see about that. Let’s dig into what we should expect from the Boston Celtics heading into the upcoming NBA season!

Key Additions: Kemba Walker, Enes Kanter, Carsen Edwards, Tacko Fall, Romeo Langford, Vincent Poirier, Grant Williams

Kemba Walker was the big fish the Celtics landed in free agency. I’m not sure the Celtics could have done better given the circumstances. Walker is coming off a career best season. Now we will get to see if he can actually win with adequate help. Walker was never going to sniff the promise land in Charlotte. Now he gets his shot with Boston.

Kanter is going to have to be the starting 5. He’s coming off a nice postseason run with the Blazers. The book on Kanter is well known. He’s going to crash the glass, score inside, and let the other guy score inside. I’m curious to see how he plays with a full time role. He’s never been counted on with this sort of heavy minute workload.

What should I make of the new rookie class? If Tacko Fall doesn’t make the roster, I’m going to riot. That’s all I know. Grant Williams seems like a smart guy. Romeo Langford gets hurt a lot. Is Carsen Edwards more than an off the bench lightning rod?

Key Losses: Al Horford, Kyrie Irving, Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier, Aron Baynes

I’m going to miss Kyrie Irving. Yes, I know, unpopular. He’s still the best ball handler and clutch player in the league. 5 seconds left and one shot to win the game, statistically, Irving is the best. I think him leaving lowers the Celtics ceiling. Marcus Morris is the other big loss. Morris was a guy who could put the ball in the hole and defend multiple positions well. It’s an underrated loss.

Call me crazy but good riddance to Al Horford. That contract is going to be awful after the first year. Horford can’t jump or rebound. I hated watching him. Terry Rozier was the biggest cancer inside the Celtics locker room. I think ridding themselves of him is a huge win. Aron Baynes was a bit of a psycho, which I loved, but is very replaceable.

Starting Lineup: Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Enes Kanter

If Gordon Hayward regains his All-Star form, I actually think this is a solid starting 5. I would bet that happens. It’s going to come down to the young guns. Can JB and JT take the leap? If it doesn’t happen, this team is screwed. If it does, well, then we’re talking about something. Boston is a little thin at center outside of Kanter. They should be a much–improved rebounding team. Interior defense? That’s another story.

Season Outlook:

I think a 3 seed in the East is probably a safe bet. Maybe 4? If everything goes right for the Celtics, I think they can win the East. If everything goes wrong, this might be a 7 seed. There’s a wide range of outcomes for this Boston team. Can Kemba Walker be a better distributor to the young guys? Which Gordon Hayward are we getting? It’s a team with a ton of question marks. Fans in Boston have to hope that most of them go on the side of the Celtics.

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