Eastern Conference Playoffs: Where Do The Bucks Fit In?

Apr 14, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens (left) and Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey watch from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics in the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

8) Boston Celtics

If this team just had some good players, I could rank them so much higher. They have a solid roster full of average or better players, but they’re lacking anyone great, and you can’t have a great team without some great players. Well, I shouldn’t say the Celtics don’t have anyone great.

Head coach Brad Stevens is a great coach, one of the best in the entire NBA despite him being just 38 years old. His presence is what makes me consider Boston a playoff team, barely edging out both the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors.

Indiana is going to need time to come together with a largely different roster from the past few seasons, and although Paul George is a star he’s going to be rusty for a while after not playing much NBA basketball for the past year. They’ll be good again, but not this season.

Toronto just feels like they’re going to be a trainwreck this season. After getting blown out by the Washington Wizards in a series sweep in the playoffs last season they lost some productive pieces like Lou Williams (the reigning Sixth Man of the Year) and Amir Johnson (to these Celtics) and replaced them with DeMarre Carroll, a good shooter on good shooting teams.

The Raptors are not a very good shooting team, and I see them struggling and ultimately dealing some of their older players (like Kyle Lowry) for draft picks and younger guys. This core clearly isn’t working, and the Raptors need some new blood besides Cory Joseph.

Next: The Seventh Seed