Rajon Rondo’s Future, Brad Stevens’ Plan Among Celtics’ Top Questions (Photos)

Once again, the Celtics will enter a season with health-related concerns. This time, though, those concerns do not come with the same lofty payoff if everything goes right.

Instead of wondering if Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and the other veterans can stay healthy for a possible title run, the Celtics could be waiting to see how Rajon Rondo‘s surgically repaired right knee holds up so they can audition him for a potential trade. Jared Sullinger‘s recovery from his back operation was certain to make this an interesting year for the second-year forward even before his offseason arrest complicated things further.

Meanwhile, the players who are healthy bring their own set of questions. Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks and Keith Bogans will need to fit in somewhere, and Jeff Green is facing the ultimate “show-me” year for skeptical Celtics fans. Fan favorite Avery Bradley is in his last season before becoming eligible for restricted free agency, and whether he can develop a well-rounded game will help set his market price.

These are some of the challenges Brad Stevens will face in his first year as a head coach in the NBA. How Stevens addresses all these issues will be pivotal in setting the course for the next stage of success or making this just a wasted year in the post-Pierce era.