Is there any reason we wont get a top 4 seed?

[jayk009]

I'm thinking that there's no way we finish below a 4th seed in the East.

Am I just being a homer?

[GreenWarrior]

depending on the rest of the east we could be a 2 seed or be a lottery team. doesn't matter what we do, it's all about the other teams.

[Granath]

"Is there any reason why we won't a top 4 seed?"

Yes. Talent, or a lack thereof...not to mention a lack of experience, a lack of a go-to player and so forth.

[pearljammer10]

depending on the rest of the east we could be a 2 seed or be a lottery team. doesn't matter what we do, it's all about the other teams.

Well of course it matters what we do. If we exceed our expectations and talents we could win 48-50 and be a 2-3 seed. If we get hit with injuries and underachieve we could be a 32-35 win lottery team.

Agree that the other teams can go up and down as well but the Celtics will hold their own fate both on the court and in the front office. If we are a lottery team this year its because the celtics played subpar basketball, not any other teams doing anything specific.

[SHAQATTACK]

depending on the rest of the east we could be a 2 seed or be a lottery team. doesn't matter what we do, it's all about the other teams.

Injuries is a HUge part .

Brook Lopez or LeBron with even a medium injury could impact the Celtics in so many ways .

Multiple player injuries can change the landscape in the NBA so easy.  Especially teams that are built on one or two superstars that carry the team.

[Moranis]

Yes.  Lots of them.

[Celtics4ever]

Am I just being a homer?

With a capital "H".   But don't sweat it each new year brings hope.

[PhoSita]

Answer: The best player on the Celts is a 5'9'' (being generous) spark plug backup point guard.

That's why.

[DarkAzcura]

Yeah it is possible the Celtics get the top 4 seed, but I don't think it is entirely likely. The Celtics have good/solid offensive options and have the potential of having a top 12-15 offense. They also have the talent to be a top 5-7 defense, but we will see. I think it'll be tough for them to reach their potential this season, and there's always the chance that having ~12 rotation quality players will blow up in their face.

I think it's more reasonable to expect them to be a borderline top 20 offense and top 10 defense, which will probably sit them at the 5 or 6 seed in the East. I might not even be giving them enough credit considering they were the 20th ranked offense and 12th ranked defense with a ton of roster turmoil last year, but I usually don't expect better than how a team performs the season prior even though it is totally possible considering the youth on the team.

EDIT: nevermind, it's not worth it lol

[fairweatherfan]

Four other Eastern teams?  That's the biggest reason I can think of.

Of course, outside of Cleveland it's not real clear who those four teams would be, so sure, it's possible.  4 more weeks!!!

[D.o.s.]

Because they got rid of the divisional 4 slot so now we actually have to be one of the 4 best teams.

[DarkAzcura]

Because they got rid of the divisional 4 slot so now we actually have to be one of the 4 best teams.

yeah this is what will hold them back from being a top 4 seed more than anything. Before I would say it is totally possible because I don't think Toronto is that great, but now? I dunno.

Because they're not one of the best four teams in the Eastern Conference yet.

I think Cleveland and Atlanta are the only two teams that can claim to be head and shoulders over the rest. There are too many question marks about the rest of the East.

Chicago > new coach, losing Thibs shouldn't be taken lightly. They might end up ok, but who knows how much Thibs carried that defense. I mean heck, they had the best defense in the league for years with Boozer starting. Thibs is a defensive magician. IMO, this all depends on Noah and how he recovers from his injuries last year.

Miami > nice on paper, but will it gel?

Bucks > overrated, imo, top 25 offense last year, top 3 defense..how is Monroe improving this for them considering the Bucks aren't a great 3PT shooting team? Their offense will stagnant if their offense is clogged up in the middle, and their defense might become worse with Monroe.

Toronto > already a soft defense, not sure what no Amir will do to them. He opened up a lot of lanes with his picks and cleaned up a bunch of their guards' mistakes with help defense.

Washington > Nene, Gortat aging, Pierce's leadership gone..will Wall/Beal really be able to carry everything with a frontcourt that is falling apart by the season?

Indiana > They have George back for a full season hopefully, but their identity was baked into suffocating half court defense for the last three seasons led by Hibbert. Dude may be mentally weak, but he was the anchor of a top 5-7 defense for the last three seasons. What is Indiana's identity now? If Turner can come in and have immediate impact, they may be ok, but relying on a rookie to instantly replace Hibbert on defense will be tough. Will Ellis/George even work that well offensively?

Boston > young team, poor interior defense, lacks a go-to wing threat, might be overly deep and could cause chemistry issues

Too many question marks about every team. As much as everyone says the NBA is all about high end talent, and it is to an extent, the pieces still have to work together. The East is full of rosters that don't really make sense and are really unbalanced. The five most "balanced" rosters to me are Cleveland, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, and yes, Boston. Toronto, Washington, Indiana, Mil, and even Brooklyn may have some higher end talent over Boston, but man, they are pretty unbalanced.

[Donoghus]

Because they're not one of the best four teams in the Eastern Conference yet.

[slamtheking]

because the 6 teams that finished with better records than the C's last year will do so again as will Miami.  C's will be fighting Indy for the 8th slot.

C's didn't address their 2 biggest needs in a defending/rebounding center or a SF that can score with minimal help being set up. 

the 2 biggest acquisitions by the C's are 2 PFs, which the C's already had plenty of.  sure, they have more overall talent this year but the team still has the same overall issues as last year

[kozlodoev]

The better question is whether there is any reason to thing we can repeat the quite improbable trip to the playoffs from last year.