The Boston Celtics have had a busy offseason, positioning themselves to bounce back from their disappointing 2020-21 season while also putting themselves in prime position to cash in on any available players next summer.
Brad Stevens’ vision for the team is clear, and his execution has been spot on so far. There’s no way of knowing for sure how well Stevens’ roster will perform, but we do know that this team will be better than the one that came before it.
Their offseason aside, the Boston Celtics will have an uphill battle to a top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Brooklyn Nets have stacked the deck, adding more depth to their top-heavy roster to ensure they can still compete if one of their stars goes down. The Miami Heat have stepped up in the wake of their first-round exit, adding veteran talent besides their two All-Stars in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. With all their shooting, defense, and passing with Eric Spoelstra at the head, they’ll be hard to stop.
And those two are just the tip of the iceberg.
This upcoming season won’t be like the ones in years past. The 7th seed will be a highly touted group instead of a lottery team happy to be there. The top three teams won’t be in a tier of their own. There will be multiple teams right behind them, ready to take their spot if they slip.
The Boston Celtics could be on either side of that equation depending on how the pieces they’ve assembled fit. Today, we’ll look at three of the most significant tests for the Cs as they look to get back into the upper echelon in their conference.
The Boston Celtics’ dance partner in the 2020 Eastern Conference Championship
The Boston Celtics’ first test will be against the Miami Heat on November 4th. The Celts will be on the road on the second night of a back-to-back against a conference rival racing for the same position they are.
With both teams loaded with talent and headed for the same destination, it will be critical to pull out wins if a tie-breaker is necessary to determine seeding.
Back-to-back ups are a testament to focus, grit, and determination. Last season the Boston Celtics lacked all three from a game-to-game basis and thus, lost most of their doubleheaders. Although they were dealing with injuries, and their roster was already set up to fail at first sight of resistance, the players’ body language and decision-making were unacceptable.
There’s a reason Stevens sought out veteran players and a strong voice in Ime Udoka. Those three characteristics are the bread and butter of Celtics basketball, and to succeed at the highest level, the Cs need to implement those three traits.
The Lakers pose a threat of attaining Banner #18 first
The next test for the Boston Celtics will be against their cross-town rivals, the LA Lakers. The Lakers have loaded up on veteran talent beside Lebron James and Anthony Davis, trading for Russell Westbrook and signing every player drafted before 2010 that they could find. On paper, their roster’s fit is far from ideal, but if all three of their biggest cogs are rolling simultaneously, they’ll be one of the most challenging teams to beat in basketball.
The Celtics will get them after a three-day break during their west coast road trip on the front end of a back-to-back where they play the Clippers the following night. Winning these games is crucial since the next game is often a loss. The Cs will have to show some heart against the Lakers since the West Coast drag will be starting to creep upon them. I doubt Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will show up, considering they turn into Kobe and MJ when they play either LA team, but the two can not win alone. Boston’s supporting cast will have to step up if the Cs want any chance of putting another win in the win column.
The Brooklyn Nets pose the biggest threat to Boston in the Eastern Conference
The Boston Celtics’ next test will come a few months later, when they play their division rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, on the road after eight days off. Now, for a team that is set to lead the NBA in back-to-backs, having eight days out may seem like a good thing, and it is in most cases. Player’s get time to rest and recover, coaches have more time to game-plan, and executives have more time to figure out who they’re going to target at the trade deadline.
The downside of long breaks is they can make the team stagnant. Groups that come off long leaves have a terrible track record because players come back unready to play. If the Boston Celtics line up against the Brooklyn Nets and aren’t ready to play, they will be demoralized and drop in the standings.
There’s no doubt if both teams are sharp and healthy, the Nets will be favored. They’re likely going to finish above the Cs in the standings and play the season out as the better team regardless of the standings.
However, that doesn’t mean the Celts should sit back and accept their loss. Prying wins off superteams like the Nets is no easy feat, but it’s not impossible either. The Celtics must come out of their break hungry and ready to compete, and if they’re lucky, the Nets will come out flat-footed.
Regardless of the result, expect the Nets and the Celtics to produce some of the best games of the NBA season, assuming both squads are fully healthy.