After overcoming a mediocre start to become basketball’s most dominant team, boston celtics It was one of the NBA’s best stories last season. Led by a stifling defense and two young stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. However, they lost in six games to the Golden State Warriors.
With the dominance of the second half of last season, the relative youth of the roster, and the important offseason addition of Malcolm Brogdon, many fans and pundits believe the Celtics will repeat as Eastern Conference champions and perhaps I predict that we will win everything.
But Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck doesn’t jump to such hasty conclusions.of Interview with Adam Himmelsbach boston globeGrausbeck said he doesn’t think last season’s success should necessarily create such high expectations for Boston.
“I loved being with them. It was thrilling. I think the other side of the coin is that we’re overrated right now,” Grousbeck said. Via Boston.com“I think that performance, as I say, was a little overrated in the public mind, or in my own mind. [We were] A finalist and two wins away from winning, but in retrospect Brooklyn had a tough series and had to play seven games after that [against the Bucks and Heat]Then we lost [to Golden State]So we’re not a no-compromise team to repeat as Eastern Conference Champions. I think we are a quality team. ”
As Grausbeck points out, the Celtics’ road to the Finals was anything but smooth. Had it not been for Khris Middleton’s injury, he could have lost to the Bucks in the second round. Jimmy Butler famously missed his 3-pointer pull-up in the final seconds of Game 7 of his Eastern Conference Finals, which could have overwhelmed Boston. After he led the Warriors 2–1 in the Finals, the Celtics ended the series by losing three games in a row, scoring only 97.9 points per 100 possessions.
I can understand where Glausbeck came from and it would be strange for him to come out and guarantee a championship, but whether he likes it or not, his team is the favorite for the title. Tatum is a likely MVP candidate this season, Brown was the legitimate second pick after averaging 24 points per game last season, and Marcus Smart reigns supreme as Defensive Player of the Year. I’m here. If they get a full and healthy season off of Brogdon, Robert Williams and Al Horford, they’re going to be a very tough team to win in both the regular season and the playoffs.
That said, this is essentially the same roster that started last season 25-25, so I’d love to see it all on the floor this season before Grousbeck starts praising the team. is a matter of course.
