Hardwood Houdini
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The Boston Celtics are ready to compete in the East for years to come

By Jack Phillips

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 2: Gordon Hayward #20 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics are seen during the game against the Charlotte Hornets during a preseason game on October 2, 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 2: Gordon Hayward #20 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics are seen during the game against the Charlotte Hornets during a preseason game on October 2, 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics are set up to be contenders for years in the East

Now that the Golden State Warriors have celebrated their 2018 championship in style and the Cleveland Cavaliers have come to terms with their second disappointing NBA Finals run in the last two years, it is time and also way too early to start our predictions for the 2019 season.

Although the regular season is still a solid four months away, it is still important to recognize the results of last season and use those to predict where the Boston Celtics will be exactly a year from now.

It’s hard, though, because we still don’t know what uniform LeBron James will be wearing come October. If he stays in Cleveland, the Cavaliers have a high chance of repeating the same result as the last two seasons.

If the King joins the Philadelphia 76ers, then the Celtics and 76ers’ rivalry is reborn. And if the King heads out west, then the Celtics might as well punch their ticket to the NBA Finals now and save fans the time. For now, let’s just pretend James isn’t a factor.

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Regardless of what James decides to do this offseason, the Celtics have a huge chance to improve even more than they did this past season. Nobody expected them to go as far as they did, especially lacking veteran experience.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were the biggest improvements this past season and proved that young guns can still get the job done. It’ll be interesting to see what Brad Stevens plans to do with the two younglings in the coming years.

We cannot forget the breakout season from Terry Rozier as well. His play was the biggest surprise to Celtics fans throughout the season. We also must remember Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes and whether or not Boston will look to keep them on the roster of for the start of the 2019 season.

And all of this was without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. All in all, the Celtics have a very bright future in the East for the near future.

So, what’s the point of this piece? We as critics and fans need to understand that if this past season’s Celtics squad got as far as they did, then there is no limit to a veteran-filled and injury-free team for next season.

Next: Boston Celtics Player Breakdown: Jaylen Brown

Who knows what the Celtics are cooking up for the upcoming seasons coming to the TD Garden? All we know is that no matter where James signs in the pending free agency, the Celtics will be a powerhouse in the East for a long while.

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