4. Boston Celtics
The fourth placed challenger to the Bucks this coming season is a team that Milwaukee has a lot of familiarity with in the post-season over the past two seasons: the Boston Celtics.
Boston are an enigma.
On the one hand, the Celtics have about as much talent, on paper, as any team in the NBA. From their big free agent signing in Kemba Walker, to their exciting young players such as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as solid guys around them like Enes Kanter, Marcus Smart, and Gordon Hayward, Boston can put together a variety of strong line-ups that can do different things.
However, Boston is also returning much of what is, essentially, the same team from the one they had last season when they got rolled by the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, with a couple of key players also gone from that team.
They lost their defensive anchor in the front court with Al Horford going to Philly. Horford was the key to the Celtics’ defensive scheme in trying to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo. His replacement, Enes Kanter, is not a good defender, and is also not the kind of floor-spacer that Horford was. That drop-off, and lack of depth behind Kanter, is a very real issue they’re going to have to address.
Terry Rozier departed in free agency. Even though he went through a volatile 2018-19 season, he was still a key part of their guard rotation over the past two to three seasons.
The Celtics’ prime free agent signing is a similar player stylistically to the man he is replacing on their team.
There are also many of the same question marks surrounding some of their top guys, like Tatum, Brown, and Hayward, that they had throughout last season. Kyrie Irving‘s departure doesn’t change that.
All of that said, the Boston Celtics are still an immensely talented group. Though their frontcourt depth is a bit light, and they have potential issues with how the pieces on their larger roster fit together, Brad Stevens is capable of turning that team into a legitimate contender in the East.
Tatum and Brown, in particular, could be the keys to this team. Both are still incredibly young, but they’re about as talented, and have as high of a ceiling, as any player in their age group. With Irving no longer around to throw off the chemistry behind the scenes and on the court, those two could prosper and take substantial leaps forward.
Gordon Hayward should be better as well. After getting a season under his belt after suffering a horrifying leg injury, Hayward should be much sharper this season. We saw Paul George take about the same time frame to come back as good as he was prior to him sustaining an equally gruesome leg injury a few years ago.
There’s also the looming possibility that Boston could always move for the next big star on the market in a trade, such as Bradley Beal. Even if their pieces continue to be a mismatch at the start of the season, they have Brown or Tatum to move in the right deal.
Boston’s inclusion here is really about the talent and coaching. If they can sort this roster out, there’s no doubt that they possess the talent to push for the best record in the East, and challenge for the NBA title.
Tatum, Brown, and Walker are a nightmare match-up, even for the best defenses in the League. Milwaukee aren’t as well suited to cope with that trio now after losing Malcolm Brogdon to the Pacers. That could be a sneaky issue for them if these teams meet next Spring.
We’ll see if Boston can put last season’s disappointment behind them.