How Sam Cassell Views Title-Hungry Celtics: ‘We’ve Got A Chance’

Sam Cassell has played for three NBA champions and served on the bench of contenders in the past. And now the recently hired Celtics assistant believes Boston has what it takes to claim long-awaited Banner 18.

"We've got a chance, man," Cassell told Heavy Sports' Steve Bulpett while attending a Celtics summer league game in Las Vegas.

"We've got a chance. You've got the talent here. You've got to have health and chemistry. They are ready."

The Celtics came up just shy of the banner after losing the 2022 NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors. Boston then entered the 2022-23 campaign with heightened expectations, but failed to get back to the Finals after it was eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

Celtics fans are hoping an improved coaching staff around Mazzulla will go a long way. Cassell knows how Green Teamers are feeling, especially since he was a member of the organization's most recent title run in 2008.

"I saw how it looked when the Celtics won their last championship. I was part of that team," Cassell told Heavy. "And once we get that thing accomplished, it's a beautiful thing to win a championship in Boston. It's awesome to be back in The Bean, especially when you've won there before. I know how passionate the fans are. Boston has passionate fans, man, and they just want to have passionate players."

The Celtics will look a bit different next season after trading both Marcus Smart and Grant Williams. But the team did add Kristaps Porzingis to complement All-NBA honorees Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They'll have a lot on their shoulders entering the upcoming season.

The addition of coaches like Cassell and Charles Lee certainly should help the group, too. And it's why many, including Cassell himself, view the Celtics as a legitimate title contender.