With just weeks to go until the start of the new NBA season, fans and analysts around the league continue to question which teams will emerge as the best.
In the East, specifically, the Boston Celtics could pose a real threat to the competition, and a case can be made that they have enough talent to be one of the best teams in the league this season.
It will be interesting to see how Brogdon’s game changes working with Mazzulla, as he’s the best guard to come into the system since Mazzulla was working with Walker in 2019. Mazzulla empowered Walker to shoot first and find his playmaking as a byproduct of hunting his shot, so will Udoka have his staff deliver that same message to Brogdon? The burden on Tatum, Brown and Smart must be eased, but those guys still want their shots. Brogdon is ready to sacrifice but only so much.
The last time the Celtics built a stacked roster primed to be a contender coming into the season just a few years ago, there were plenty of warnings that there were a lot of mouths to feed and the chemistry was going to be combustible. That proved to be true.
Last year, streamlining the menu and establishing a clear pecking order half a season in yielded great results. Boston has enough firepower to be the best team in the league. But there are egos and touches to manage. They’ll be counting on Brogdon to be the one to establish that balance.
With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Robert Williams III, Danilo Gallinari, and Malcolm Brogdon, the Celtics have a solid foundation of core players that can compete against the best.
Whether or not they’ll make another trip to the Finals remains to be seen, but they cannot be counted out in the title chase this season, not with how stacked their roster currently is.
