Yes, Celtics Should Be Viewed As Legit NBA Title Contenders (Again)

There’s no denying it was an absolute rollercoaster of an offseason for the Boston Celtics.

What started with trade rumors involving Jaylen Brown for Kevin Durant turned into the Celtics building their deepest roster in years with the theft of Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers and the free agency signing of Danilo Gallinari. It caused the Celtics to look like the favorites to not only repeat as Eastern Conference champions, but also win the organization’s long-awaited Banner 18 after coming up short against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals.

But then things turned drastically in the other direction. Gallinari suffered a season-ending injury prior to the bombshell suspension of head coach Ime Udoka. Udoka, who reportedly got involved in an improper relationship and made “unwanted” comments to a Celtics female staffer, has been suspended for the 2022-23 season due to violations of workplace conduct. Just like that, the public’s perception of the Celtics changed, all while other teams in the East improved their rosters.

Despite the ups and downs from late-June until mid-October, though, the Celtics still should be viewed as a title contender. And the reasoning is multi-fold.

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— Stars turning into superstars
Talent wins in the NBA and the Celtics have as much as anyone. The obvious two-headed monster of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the leaders in on-court production. Tatum is coming off a First Team All-NBA selection and a third straight NBA All-Star appearance, but the height of his greatness thus far was on display during the postseason, as he averaged 25.6 points in 24 playoff games while also adding 6.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists in those contests. And there were times when Brown actually was Boston’s most impressive player on the floor during the postseason. Tatum and Brown truly are two of the best two-way players in the league, and entering their sixth and seventh NBA seasons, respectively, should serve as another opportunity to bring their game to a new level.

— Improved depth
We briefly hinted at the Celtics’ depth while discussing the additions of Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari, but it goes well beyond those two. The Celtics now can feature a starting lineup with Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Brown and Tatum, while the absence of Robert Williams likely will cause Grant Williams, Derrick White or Brogdon to enter the starting group. The preseason emergence of Sam Hauser, who by all accounts should have an impactful role as a knockdown shooter, also gives the Celtics some of what they were hoping to get from Gallinari. Additionally, the recent signing of Blake Griffin gives the Celtics a capable frontcourt player off the bench, with Payton Pritchard being a more than capable fourth guard. When Robert Williams returns from his recovery after knee surgery, the Celtics have a very strong eight-man rotation, with a group of 10 all more than capable of filling their respective roles.

— Defense
The Celtics concluded the 2021-22 regular season with the league’s best defense. Smart, who won Defensive Player of the Year, and the high-flying Robert Williams led the charge, but the development of Tatum and Brown on that side of the floor, along with the acquisition of White and the versatility of Horford, played a major role, too. Boston was at its best given its versatility and switch-heavy scheme, a clear focal point of Udoka. While the head coach might not be the same, interim head coach Joe Mazzulla has doubled down on the defense being the key to Boston’s identity. It’s worth believing the Celtics are capable of taking last year’s lessons with them as they set out this season, especially with Brogdon’s ability on that end of the floor. Brogdon even believes Boston could have the best defensive backcourt in the league.

— Postseason experience
It feels like this team has bought in on playing for one another and has bought in on the idea of being a championship contender. Griffin and others all have acknowledged the level of intensity in practices, depicting a team that not only wants to get back to the title-contending level, but also knows the effort and work it takes. Tatum and others have used expletives this offseason to describe the feeling of coming up short in the NBA Finals against the Warriors, and it feels like a group that will use that defeat to fuel their fire. After all, Boston has both the chemistry and experience to get back there.

Oddsmakers have viewed, and continue to view, the Celtics as legitimate NBA Finals contenders, too. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Celtics tied with the best odds (6-to-1) to win the championship, along with the best price (+290) to win the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics open their season Tuesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden.