How high has the bar been set by the Boston Celtics based off of the preseason?

It’s here. The NBA season has all but reached the station. Please watch the gap. Better yet, watch the Boston Celtics raise the bar even higher after an impressive preseason.

There is not a better opponent for the Boston Celtics to be showcased opposite of than the Philadelphia 76ers on opening night. Before, the thought of Joel Embiid and Al Horford being a two-man vacuum on the boards scared me.

Now in the depths of spooky season, I am anything but spooked. Preseason action revealed just how cohesive this team can be. Brad Stevens has been able to maintain the defensive integrity of the starting center position ,slotting in the athletic Daniel Theis to keep the C’s playing an ideal pace for their wing-heavy core.

Kemba Walker looks to be a nice complement to the offense, not be the offense unlike a certain predecessor who backstabbed Beantown to be close to home in Brooklyn. Jayson Tatum looks to be capable of making a several-rung leap up the ladder, while Jaylen Brown hopes to do the same–with thoughts of a max-deal flying around in his imagination like a gaggle of witches. Not to mention, Gordon Hayward is coming into the 2019-20 season with somewhat of a chip on his shoulder, as he’s publicly said “I’m ready to be the player I came here to be.”

Outside of their aforementioned starting unit, the Boston Celtics appear filled to the brim with talented role players. Back is the 2019 All-Defensive honoree Marcus Smart –Boston’s longest tenured player mind you — as well as second-year athletic specimen Robert Williams. Assuming he can overcome his underwhelming preseason and injuries (he was taken out of Boston’s final preseason game due to an early injury), Stevens may have a potential ‘Most-Improved Player’ candidate.

If we are being honest, the expectations have mostly been raised by how ready the Boston Celtics rookies look–namely Carsen Edwards and Grant Williams.

Edwards displayed the kind of on-fire aptitude that, beyond the backcourt in the Bay Area, doesn’t really exist when he hit eight 3-pointers in the third quarter alone in the preseason finale in Cleveland last Thursday. His 15 points-per-game in the preseason were a team-high.

If you want to discredit that by saying it’s preseason go right ahead. A shot from 30 feet is still a shot from 30 feet, whether it’s in practice or a game. That’s not something you can prepare for. Edwards could be the ultimate shot-making wildcard off the bench.

Grant Williams, on the other, looked physically capable of handling the NBA grind. He looked to be in the best shape of his career and hit shots from beyond the arc–even if his counting stats weren’t the most eye-popping. His versatility provides the Boston Celtics options when it comes to their lineups.

Throw in the 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall, another legit seven-footer in Vincent Poirier and the inspired play of underdogs Tremont Waters and Javonte Green and you have the potential for excitement all over the roster.

On paper, this team is worse than the second round-flameout 2018-19 Boston Celtics…but games aren’t played on paper. The 2019-20 Celtics have raised the bar, and like the preseason, it’s an easy bet to expect them to exceed the win-totals…as well as our expectations.

In Stevens we trust. Wednesday night, the games count, and there are few reasons to be anything but optimistic as an era-changing season kicks off.