The Boston Celtics made it clear they are set up to win next season, but Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving cannot make them complacent
The Boston Celtics just finished one of the most improbable runs we have seen in recent history. After Kyrie Irving joined Gordon Hayward on the sidelines for the rest of the season, most did not think they could get out of the first round.
A hard fought seven game series win against the Milwaukee Bucks already surprised enough people, but they were left to play against the hottest team in the East at the time in the Philadelphia 76ers.
After the Celtics easily handled them in five games, people could tell something special was going on. That being said, after the Cleveland Cavaliers just got done sweeping the Toronto Raptors, no one thought the Celtics could do any more damage.
But they continued, they took the first two games and put LeBron James on the brink of elimination. The Celtics made it clear that they were good enough to win that series and make the NBA Finals, and people would have laughed at that thought at any other point since the Irving news.
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When you go on a run like that, knowing that both Irving and Hayward will be there next year, it is impossible not to be excited. The Celtics will immediately be title contenders and probably favorites in the East, and that is if absolutely nothing else changes.
The Celtics have a special level of talent, they have the coach to lead them and it is quite clear that they will have unprecedented depth next season. When you look strictly at what they have already shown, it does not feel like the Celtics need to do more.
Nevertheless, they can never have that mentality. There is too much talent in the NBA for even the best teams in the world to be complacent. The Celtics may not be getting a top draft pick or have room for a top tier free agent, but they still have a long ways to go before reaching their peak.
No matter how good the Celtics might already be, the potential is still higher. These guys are all so young and so talented and you know Brad Stevens is going to be finding ways to make things work as well as possible.
Keep in mind, this is a team that came just short of making the NBA finals, and they have to integrate their two best players. Irving and Hayward are supremely talented but the Celtics still need to figure out how to make them work as effectively as possible with the talent that was on display in these playoffs.
All these young players need to grow, but it is more important that they grow together. All these players will not be able to fully unleash themselves in any way they want to, because working properly as a unit with all that talent is the only way they can reach their ultimate goal.
Keep in mind, they also have some front court depth that is getting older, and it may be difficult to find the proper combination for the starting lineup. The Celtics have all their wings and will embrace small ball, but they still need to think about potential interior and rebounding issues.
There is no doubt the Celtics have the pieces they need right now, but making them work is a completely different story. Stevens has been masterful at integrating players throughout his career, but it is different when dealing with this level of talent.
The Celtics have all the major pieces and top end talent that they need, but no team is ever going to be at a point where they cannot improve in any area, even if things look as bright as they do for the Celtics right now.
Next: Boston Celtics fall in Game 7
The Celtics are going to have special expectations next season, and they cannot fall short. You never know how long a championship window is going to last in the NBA. The Celtics certainly have all the talent for that window to be wide open next season, but if they are complacent this off season and have the mentality that their talent will be able to carry them alone, they could be in line for the first disappointing season of the Brad Stevens era.