I think the Celtics could be a surprise team this year.

[tarheelsxxiii]

Agreed.  A lot of fans think we punted this offseason for next year (e.g., Beal), but what about the opposite?

*ECF last year. Atlanta and the Bucks made their leap in a wonky COVID year.
*Schroeder is a great signing.  He’s going to be incredibly motivated to get a contract.
*Richardson is expiring and gives great defense, depth, and some scoring.
*Horford still looks decent. He can’t really age poorly.
*Tatum and Brown are ready. Need one more co-star, but until then, we got to reload and compete.
… and Smart competes. He’s a natural born winner and violent loser.  That’s very Boston sports.[/li]

We can both contend and then have cap flexibility for next year.

[Celtics2021]

Agreed.  A lot of fans think we punted this offseason for next year (e.g., Beal), but what about the opposite?

*ECF last year. Atlanta and the Bucks made their leap in a wonky COVID year.
*Schroeder is a great signing.  He’s going to be incredibly motivated to get a contract.
*

Richardson is expiring and gives great defense, depth, and some scoring.
*Horford still looks decent. He can’t really age poorly.
*Tatum and Brown are ready. Need one more co-star, but until then, we got to reload and compete.
… and Smart competes. He’s a natural born winner and violent loser.  That’s very Boston sports.[/li][/list]

We can both contend and then have cap flexibility for next year.

I see you missed the news we gave Richardson an extension.

[tarheelsxxiii]

I see you missed the news we gave Richardson an extension.

I sure did. TP.

But I remain very optimistic.

[Somebody]

What constitutes as a surprise? FWIW I think we're the 4th best team in the East on paper, but games are played and coached on the court.

[ozgod]

I'm excited about this season like I am every season. I love these underdog teams that everyone thinks is Z-rated and nobody thinks will get out of the first round. I find it so much more enjoyable watching the season when expectations are low and they are exceeded as opposed to when expectations are high and the team fails to impress. I'm looking forward to seeing how our young team of clankers and no-hopers perform. 

[nickagneta]

I'm excited about this season like I am every season. I love these underdog teams that everyone thinks is Z-rated and nobody thinks will get out of the first round. I find it so much more enjoyable watching the season when expectations are low and they are exceeded as opposed to when expectations are high and the team fails to impress. I'm looking forward to seeing how our young team of clankers and no-hopers perform. 

Don't forget all the G Leaguers

[Somebody]

I'm excited about this season like I am every season. I love these underdog teams that everyone thinks is Z-rated and nobody thinks will get out of the first round. I find it so much more enjoyable watching the season when expectations are low and they are exceeded as opposed to when expectations are high and the team fails to impress. I'm looking forward to seeing how our young team of clankers and no-hopers perform. 

I expect a second round appearance at the very least with our players - we have a really nice collection of talent that can compete with the best of them under the right coaching. Obviously we're more of a 6-10 seed if you take coaching into account, but that's an indictment on our front office more than anything.

[Surferdad]

I'm excited about this season like I am every season. I love these underdog teams that everyone thinks is Z-rated and nobody thinks will get out of the first round. I find it so much more enjoyable watching the season when expectations are low and they are exceeded as opposed to when expectations are high and the team fails to impress. I'm looking forward to seeing how our young team of clankers and no-hopers perform. 

I expect a second round appearance at the very least with our players - we have a really nice collection of talent that can compete with the best of them under the right coaching. Obviously we're more of a 6-10 seed if you take coaching into account, but that's an indictment on our front office more than anything.

Wow, you dislike Ime Udoka already and he hasn't coached one game yet.  How many NBA Finals did Brad coach this team to in 8 years?

[boscel33]

See, I don't think they're a surprise team, I expect a two or three seed out of them.  They were a better team this year, but were hit by the injury and COVID bug.  They improved their roster in the off season, so I expect more.

[Somebody]

I'm excited about this season like I am every season. I love these underdog teams that everyone thinks is Z-rated and nobody thinks will get out of the first round. I find it so much more enjoyable watching the season when expectations are low and they are exceeded as opposed to when expectations are high and the team fails to impress. I'm looking forward to seeing how our young team of clankers and no-hopers perform. 

I expect a second round appearance at the very least with our players - we have a really nice collection of talent that can compete with the best of them under the right coaching. Obviously we're more of a 6-10 seed if you take coaching into account, but that's an indictment on our front office more than anything.

Wow, you dislike Ime Udoka already and he hasn't coached one game yet.  How many NBA Finals did Brad coach this team to in 8 years?

Difficult to do that when one of the best basketball players of all time was in his conference for 5-6 of those years and a Greek god popped up after said GOAT candidate left the East. All I know is that Udoka is an unproven head coach with a mediocre track record as a defensive coordinator (people love to bring up how the Bucks offence stalled against Brooklyn in a minuscule 7 game sample size, but Philadelphia improved from a good defence to a historically noteworthy one with similar defensive personnel after he left the club).

[liam]

See, I don't think they're a surprise team, I expect a two or three seed out of them.  They were a better team this year, but were hit by the injury and COVID bug.  They improved their roster in the off season, so I expect more.

I wasn't saying surprising Celtics fans as much as saying the media who has pretty much written the Celtics off on every poll I've seen. I'm mostly seeing the Celtics listed as the 16th best team in the NBA while the Lakers somehow get a pass and are considered a top team with a 36-year-old LeBron and an oft-injured AD.

[GreenEnvy]

I don’t see why they can’t be somewhere between the Hawks and Bucks of last season. They have a lot of very good players. The question is what step will Tatum and Brown take this upcoming season? Does Tatum become a legit MVP candidate? Is Brown a no-doubter All-Star?

If so (to either or both), I think the collection of talent around them is inarguably much better. Schroder could easily be more impactful than Kemba was for us. Horford is that jack-of-all-trades guy we need. Kanter brings rebounding. Robert Williams brings defense and energy. Smart isn’t playing for a contract, so hopefully he fine-tunes his role.

Then there’s Nesmith, Pritchard, and Langford. All three can realistically play themselves into a much larger role.

I’m pleasantly optimistic about this season. I would not be surprised if we are playing in the ECF. We have a lot of different weapons to deploy.

[Moranis]

See, I don't think they're a surprise team, I expect a two or three seed out of them.  They were a better team this year, but were hit by the injury and COVID bug.  They improved their roster in the off season, so I expect more.

I wasn't saying surprising Celtics fans as much as saying the media who has pretty much written the Celtics off on every poll I've seen. I'm mostly seeing the Celtics listed as the 16th best team in the NBA while the Lakers somehow get a pass and are considered a top team with a 36-year-old LeBron and an oft-injured AD.

who has Boston as the 16th best team?

And the Lakers are better than Boston.  That is just reality.

[Vermont Green]

See, I don't think they're a surprise team, I expect a two or three seed out of them.  They were a better team this year, but were hit by the injury and COVID bug.  They improved their roster in the off season, so I expect more.

I wasn't saying surprising Celtics fans as much as saying the media who has pretty much written the Celtics off on every poll I've seen. I'm mostly seeing the Celtics listed as the 16th best team in the NBA while the Lakers somehow get a pass and are considered a top team with a 36-year-old LeBron and an oft-injured AD.

who has Boston as the 16th best team?

And the Lakers are better than Boston.  That is just reality.

The current win total over under spreads that I have seen have the Celtics at 47.5 wins, tied with ATL for 5th in the East and 11th overall.  The Lakers are at 52.5 wins, tied with Utah for tops in the West and 3rd overall.  The top 4 in the East are Nets (55.5), Bucks (54.5), 76ers (51.5), and Heat (48.5).  The 16th best team on this list are the Bulls at 41.5 wins.

All sounds about right to me.  I see Miami, ATL, and Boston all as good teams, roughly equal, with health probably ultimately deciding things.

[liam]

See, I don't think they're a surprise team, I expect a two or three seed out of them.  They were a better team this year, but were hit by the injury and COVID bug.  They improved their roster in the off season, so I expect more.

I wasn't saying surprising Celtics fans as much as saying the media who has pretty much written the Celtics off on every poll I've seen. I'm mostly seeing the Celtics listed as the 16th best team in the NBA while the Lakers somehow get a pass and are considered a top team with a 36-year-old LeBron and an oft-injured AD.

who has Boston as the 16th best team?

And the Lakers are better than Boston.  That is just reality.

The Lakers finished exactly the same as we did last year.

Espn has us 13th. CBS has us 14th. NBC has us 11th. Sportsnaut has us 14th. Bleacher report has us a 17. I can't find the 16th rating but I can't find any in the top 10 which I think we are.