The Boston Celtics are expected to be among the top contenders in the NBA this season after adding a pair of All-Stars in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward during the offseason.
Those two stars, along with talented center Al Horford, several exciting young players and an elite head coach in Brad Stevens all have contributed to expectations for the C’s being sky high.
ESPN, however, doesn’t seem as optimistic as others, at least if you go by their “Warriors vs. Everybody” NBA power rankings released Tuesday.
The Celtics are ranked 16th on this list, which is astoundingly low.
Sure, they’ve only brought back four players from last season, but the addition of Irving is an upgrade at point guard over Isaiah Thomas, Hayward can score 20-plus points per game, and young guys like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier also should make a meaningful impact.
In fact, Boston’s positional versatility and athleticism on the wings make it an ideal matchup against the Warriors. Let’s not forget the C’s have beaten the Warriors in Golden State in each of the last two seasons.
The Celtics might not be one of the three best teams in the league, but ranking them at No. 16 is just ludicrous.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
