Coming into the season, the new-look Boston Celtics already have high expectations and are ready to conquer the league. Last year their record stood at 55-27, but with the return of two injured all-stars, their projections for the season are growing exponentially. Gordon Hayward, who suffered a gruesome ankle injury just a year earlier, has already been on the court for two of their 3 recent games and is showing flashes of his old self, averaging 12 points in 24.5 minutes, 6 rebounds, and 2.5 steals. It’s apparent he’s still not playing at his highest level, but Celtic fans are happy to see him back on the court.  

Kyrie Irving, a star point guard acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, is also returning from a season-ending knee surgery. Seen as the anchor and leader to the offense, having Kyrie back provides the young Celtics with the veteran leadership and offensive consistency they lacked last season. In the opening game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Irving was held to scoring only 7 points, but since then has gotten into his grove, improving to an average 18.5 points over the next two games against the Raptors and the Knicks. So far, Kyrie has been meshing well with the younger players in the starting lineup, as he’s played unselfishly and made a point to get his teammates involved.

The Celtics’ success, however, won’t be dependent only on the all-stars; second-year player Jayson Tatum is already emerging as a serious offensive threat. Last year in the 2018 NBA Playoffs, Tatum stepped up big time for the Celtics, averaging 18.5 points per game while also shooting 47 percent from the field. This year, Tatum has carried his momentum and is providing a much-needed scoring boost as the team is developing.

Key role players like Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier have also played very well to start the season. Both of these players have an unwavering confidence that every team needs. If Rozier keeps playing as he has been, he’ll definitely be in the running for 6th man of the year. The bench as a whole is arguably the best in the NBA with hustle players such as Marcus Smart, Aron Baynes, and Daniel Theis strengthening the defensive play. With no doubt, the Celtics bench can easily take advantage of any opposing teams subbing in their second units.

Brad Stevens, is entering his 6th season as the Celtics Head Coach and has no plans of slowing down after a heartbreaking loss in the Semi-Finals to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 1 in a 7-game series. Over the years, Stevens has produced an overall record of 221 wins – 189 loses. Stevens has never led the Celtics to the NBA Finals, but the 2018-2019 season could be his first. Stevens has won the Coach Of The Month Award across 3 seasons with the Celtics.

Overall, the Boston Celtics are looking very strong and are working very well together as a unit. How far will the Celtics go this year? Will the Celtics be better with returning stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving? Are they the better than the Warriors who are looking for 3 straight NBA Championships? The answer to those questions is Yes. The Boston Celtics have a real chance to win the NBA Finals and could do it easily with the strength of the personnel they have.

First, you have the team chemistry. In an interview, Terry Rozier said that the Celtics have a great foundation of team chemistry because they are able to feed off of each other and complement each other on both the offensive and the defensive ends of the court. Chemistry within a team is a key part to their success and will only be a positive for the Celtics this year.

Next, we have depth. The Boston Celtics have a ridiculous amount of dangerous offensive threats including Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, and more. If they can all work together as a unit, they are not going to be stopped by any other team in the NBA. Period.

Finally, the Celtics have a number of stars who could be potential all-stars. When the votes are in, the Celtics should be sending off Irving, Horford, Tatum, and possibly others. If one more player can breakout this year and step up, the Celtics will be in great shape to contend this season.