Predictions for the Celtics Upcoming Season

[Hoopvortex]

I think we'll try to flip Schroder at some point, after the season.

He has a one-year deal.

I think Richardson will out perform many folks expectations. 

I agree.

[Vermont Green]

This is a really hard team/season to peg.  Lots of new pieces, new coach, and coming off a year where the team probably underachieved.

My predictions:

I expect Schroder to be a good fit and to have a good year and emerge as at the #1 PG.

I expect our "PF by committee" (Hernangomez, Parker, GWilliams, Fernando) to play more than people think, probably collectively 24-32 minutes per game.

I expect both Brown and Tatum to improve and both be really good.

The result will be 48-50 wins and 1 playoff round win, just too many other really good teams.

Adding one more:  I think Fourier is going to be exposed as a somewhat of an empty stat guy.  He will still be decent, but not what you would think seeing his numbers in Orlando.  Richardson is going to be just fine for us.

I went back and resurrected my predictions from an earlier thread.  All in All, not too bad.

Schroder did not emerge as the #1 PG, I was fully wrong on that.

The PF by committee prediction was only partly right.  We have played mostly 2-bigs with a PF on the floor, that part I was correct but it has been mostly Al and GWill as the PF, the others did pretty much nothing.  I admit that Horford has been way better than I would have thought.  I had him pegged as the back up C.

Brown and Tatum have both improved and been really good.

48-50 wins and 1 playoff round, still in the cards.

And I was right on Fournier and Richardson.  Fournier was exposed and Richardson was just fine (until being traded).

[Celtics2021]

The Celtics will pair a top-3 defense with a top-10 offense to finish in the top 5 of net rating.

Tatum makes the All-NBA team he deserved last year.  Jaylen has another All-Star season, and Smart returns to his All-NBA defense form.  Time Lord gets some All-Defense votes, but doesn’t play enough to get the honor.

We don’t make a significant trade at the deadline, and pay the luxury tax.

The team finishes 3rd in the conference, but loses a heartbreaking 7-game series to Brooklyn, who gets all of the calls in the decisive game.  I try really hard not to accidentally break my television — I succeed in sparing the screen, but the remote is toast.

My first two predictions have been pretty good.  Offense hasn’t been top 10, but the defense has pulled us into the top 5 of net rating all the same.  If Tatum doesn’t get All-NBA he’s been robbed, Smart’s defense has returned, Rob looks terrific, and Jaylen was an injury away (either not getting hurt himself early or someone else missing the game) from his own All-Star appearance.

My trade deadline prediction was dead wrong, and I hope my playoffs prediction is even more wrong (although finishing third in the conference is not out of the realm of possibility at this point).

[slamtheking]

putting on my Carnac turban:
- Brown takes his game to yet another level by becoming a better distributor and a more dangerous scorer because Ime doesn't stick him in the corner to play decoy.
- Romeo shuts his critics up.  Kid plays solid D while providing 8-10 points off the bench on limited shots
- Nesmith improves his offense to provide 10-12 points off the bench.  his D improves.
- Pritchard takes a step backwards but plays well enough to be our 3rd PG on the depth chart.
- Schroder outplays Smart for the season.
- Timelord is only able to be healthy to play 2/3 of the games this year.
- Richardson plays ok all around basketball.  will have a number of people complaining we didn't keep Fournier instead for his shooting.

the one on JB has been pretty on the mark.  Pritchard taking a step back was right.  Richardson played ok ball until being traded and we still had people complaining we didn't keep Fournier. 

Romeo played decent D but didn't get aggressive enough with his offense before the trade.  Nesmith - swing and a miss on that one.  Same with Schroder.  Timelord's played 53 out of 66 games - if he plays tonight he makes the 2/3 mark for the season even if he misses the rest of the games.  Very thankful I missed on this one.

[Celtics2021]

The Celtics will pair a top-3 defense with a top-10 offense to finish in the top 5 of net rating.

Tatum makes the All-NBA team he deserved last year.  Jaylen has another All-Star season, and Smart returns to his All-NBA defense form.  Time Lord gets some All-Defense votes, but doesn’t play enough to get the honor.

We don’t make a significant trade at the deadline, and pay the luxury tax.

The team finishes 3rd in the conference, but loses a heartbreaking 7-game series to Brooklyn, who gets all of the calls in the decisive game.  I try really hard not to accidentally break my television — I succeed in sparing the screen, but the remote is toast.

My first two predictions have been pretty good.  Offense hasn’t been top 10, but the defense has pulled us into the top 5 of net rating all the same.  If Tatum doesn’t get All-NBA he’s been robbed, Smart’s defense has returned, Rob looks terrific, and Jaylen was an injury away (either not getting hurt himself early or someone else missing the game) from his own All-Star appearance.

My trade deadline prediction was dead wrong, and I hope my playoffs prediction is even more wrong (although finishing third in the conference is not out of the realm of possibility at this point).

My predictions have now all been proven right or wrong.

Top-3 defense?  Check.  Top-10 offense?  Check.  Top-5 Net rating? Check.

All-NBA Tatum?  Seems inevitable.  Marcus Smart’s revitalization?  The Defensive Player of the Year says I got that correct.  All-Star Jaylen Brown?  Almost.  TL playing at an All-Defense level, but perhaps missing out due to availability?  He’s certainly in the conversation, and if he misses out it will probably be due to his late-season injury.

Totally missed on the trade deadline, as the C’s made go for it moves AND got under the tax.  Good job by the front office with that twin accomplishment.

C’s finished 2nd in the conference, not third (a small but pleasant miss considering it was won via tie-breaker).  And the biggest and best miss was certainly my prediction we’d lose to Brooklyn in 7, aided by terrible officiating.  Not even Scott Foster himself could prevent the sweep!!!

Happy with what I got right, and even happier with what I got wrong!