Boston Celtics: 2017-18 NBA season preview

Predictions

Despite the turnover, this Boston team is incredibly talented, and has every piece in place to be a contender in the Eastern Conference for years to come. This season will be a learning experience for the squad, and whether or not they knock off LeBron James, they are set up to rule the East soon.

Jayson Tatum is as good as advertised, providing a spark off the bench as a scoring option. The bench as a whole impresses, with Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown and Tatum forming the young core of a strong unit. Daniel Theis earns more playing time as a hard-nosed defender, and together he and Smart help this team keep the underdog-type edge that it rode the past few seasons.

Kyrie Irving will not turn into a plus-defender just because he is wearing green, but he will thrive in a true offensive system running sets where he catches the ball with a head of steam and an opening in the defense. There will be growing pains as Irving has been riding the isolation train for so long — and is too special one-on-one to abandon it entirely — but he will turn in his most efficient season to date.

Gordon Hayward will be every bit the star he is asked to be and flourish with Brad Stevens, who will build on the creative ways Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder used Hayward as he developed into a true first option. Both Irving and Hayward will make the All-Star team, but advanced metrics will highlight Hayward as the team’s best player.

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Although there will be a number of positive currents running through the squad, a slow growth of chemistry and a conservative approach will mean that the Celtics do not exceed their win total from last season. But this team will win 51 games, good for second in the Eastern Conference, and push Cleveland to seven games in the playoffs before bowing out — potentially for the last time to LeBron James.