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Can The Boston Celtics Still Have A Successful Season?

By Jack Phillips

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 18: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics goes to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 18, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steve Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 18: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics goes to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 18, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steve Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics lost a star, but that does not mean they cannot have success this season

Yes. What? Was that response too quick for you? Well, it’s true. Although the Boston Celtics will be without Gordon Hayward for the remainder of the season, they are still projected to have an overall successful season. However, the big debate is whether the team has enough talent to continue to compete for an Eastern Conference Championship.

Now, that question is a little harder to answer. Obviously, the team still has plenty of talent on the roster. I mean, Boston still has Kyrie Irving and Al Horford as luxuries, not to mention some key young potential in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, but again, people are beginning to question whether or not those same players (without Hayward) still have a chance of winning the East.

This is going to hurt Boston fans, but I doubt the Celtics have a chance anymore. Losing such a key player like Hayward can really mess with the roster and the roles each player was supposed to serve with the team. Now, someone else is going to have to step up and fill in for what Hayward was expected to do this season. Who, you ask? Well, that’s for another debate.

I know that last paragraph was a tough one to swallow, but it’s important to understand moving forward. Teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Washington Wizards now have an upper hand on this year’s Celtics team, and it’s going to be tough for Uncle Drew and the rest of the young roster to try to rally through the rest of the season.

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But before you Boston fans get too sad, it’s not necessarily going to be an unsuccessful season. Think about it, the Celtics have a great opportunity to develop their current roster and their young talent over the course of the season.

Although the Celtics still have great potential to remain an overall good team this year, without Hayward, it might be a little hard to imagine them going far in the Playoffs.

And even though the Celtics might not perform as well in the Playoffs, it would still be great experience for the rest of the roster, and then when Hayward returned the following season, the team would be prepared and ready to take over the East.

So, although it’s weird to think about, the Celtics may have just delayed their chances at winning the East by an extra year.

And if we look back in NBA history for a second, the Chicago Bulls of the 2013 season had a similar tale. With the loss of Derrick Rose for the entire season, the Bulls were still able to develop their roster throughout the season and into the Playoffs. If Rose had been able to return to full health, their team could have eventually challenged the Miami Heat and been very successful.

So, maybe the Celtics are on to something this year. Maybe the Celtics can do what the Bulls of 2013 were never able to do: Come back the next season with their star player and win the East. It’s going to be a process for the city of Boston, but like all hard work, it can pay off.

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That being said, I think the Celtics are still on their way to having a successful season, the only difference is that the definition of “successful” for Boston was altered a tiny bit this year.

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