It’s been a while since the Boston Celtics made it to the NBA Finals. And while people lauded their ability to rebuild without tanking, that hasn’t translated into much success in the playoffs.
The Celtics feature a great young core led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but it still feels like they’re a couple of pieces away from being a true contender.
Nonetheless, ESPN analyst Bobby Marks believes that they’re going to be a much-better team next season, predicting that they’ll finish as a top-4 seed in the Eastern Conference:
“I’m going to say the Boston Celtics are going to be a top-four team in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Miami, and Boston. Not sure on the order. I’m sorry Sixer fans, I think we’re heading into team turmoil this year, and I’m not putting all my eggs in a Sixers basket. I think people are sleeping on the Celtics, I think they’re under the radar,” Marks said, as quoted by CelticsWire.
Marks -a salary cap analyst- lauded the moves Brian Stevens made in the front office, stating that they have more flexibility and a more balanced roster as well:
“They had really no flexibility here. (Kemba) Walker for (Al) Horford, Marcus Smart extension, Josh Richardson extension, Schroder for the tax mid-level (exception), the (Kris) Dunn/ (Bruno) Fernando trade — we’ll see where those guys go — Robert Williams extension, Ime Udoka as their head coach, Brad Stevens has done a really good job,” Marks explained.
The Celtics will be contenders for as long as their young stars are on the court. Also, coach Ime Udoka may give them the breath of fresh air the team was craving for the past couple of seasons. Then again, they’ll still have to prove that they can win when it matters the most after years of playoff meltdowns.
