As I write this, the Boston Celtics are tied 2-2 in their first round series with the Milwaukee Bucks, one that appears to be a dogfight destined for 6 or 7 games. If they win, the Celtics will then have tough potential matchups going deeper into the playoffs with the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, or Cleveland Cavaliers. Given the difficult competition in the Eastern Conference as well as the incredible talent in the Western Conference, the Celtics are extremely unlikely to win the NBA Finals this year. However, this year’s outcome does not matter because the Celtics’ playoff performance has demonstrated that Danny Ainge and the C’s are building dynasty to be feared for years to come.
The Boston Celtics entered the season led by a brilliant coach, Brad Stevens, who was equipped with a young but extremely talented roster. The Celtics boasted experienced stars Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford as well as young stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. This roster wasn’t perfect, as there were questions about depth and lack of playoff experience, but it showed promise and a legitimate opportunity for postseason contention. Unfortunately, the Celtics’ season was immediately derailed due to Gordon Hayward’s freak season-ending injury. Entering the playoffs, the Celtics were even more depleted, having also lost star guard Kyrie Irving, defensive linchpin Marcus Smart, and productive rookie big Daniel Theis. The Celtics’ performance in the face of long odds and tough injuries has demonstrated why Celtics fans should be excited for next season and many more to come.
This postseason, the Celtics’ young stars have shown themselves to be playoff-ready leaders. Jaylen Brown has been especially explosive, while Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier have been productive as well, all averaging double digits in points per game. Veteran Al Horford has also shown his worth as a leader and producer, again averaging double digits in points. The strong performance of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are especially important because this showing caps off productive seasons for both of them. Brown averaged 14.5 points and Tatum 13.9, which, when coupled with their excellent playoff production, shows that they have lived up to the hype as budding young stars. The lesson from the 2018 Playoffs is then that regardless of how far the Celtics go, the team enters next season with two young stars boasting experience being productive in the postseason.
To go along with Brown and Tatum, next year’s Celtics will also return All-Star Al Horford and healthy versions of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Thus, the Celtics will have five extremely productive, All-Star (or borderline All-Star) players, only one of whom is older 30. The combination of health and continued development for Brown and Tatum means that next year’s Celtics will almost certainly be a top-3 team talent-wise in the Eastern Conference. Their youth and depth in talent mean that the Celtics are built to be among the East’s elite for years to come.
Even better, the Celtics are unburdened by bad contracts. Brown and Tatum are on their rookie deals, Hayward and Horford are on big, long-term deals, and Irving has one year left. Apart from those, the Celtics have no other major contracts guaranteed to other players. This means that going forward, the Celtics are free to re-sign Kyrie and eventually extend Brown and Tatum while minimizing luxury tax payments. The Celtics do face roster questions around re-signing Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart, but with their core cost-effectively locked up, the team is free to work around the margins with far more latitude than many other contenders trapped in luxury tax land (*cough* Dan Gilbert).
Overall, the Boston Celtics have assembled a very talented team with a young core, an excellent coach, and a clean balance sheet. Furthermore, the team has built a strong, positive culture that emphasizes effort and has led them to thrive as one of the NBA’s best defensive teams even amid a slew of injuries. Celtics fans have a lot to look forward to; as a Cleveland fan who’s been through years of heartache, I hope you enjoy.
(Statistics from NBA.com and ESPN)
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