Have the Boston Celtics done enough to claim the Eastern Conference belt?
The Boston Celtics fell short of claiming the top spot in the Eastern Conference last season, but have they done enough this offseason to claim the top spot in 2018-19?
The Boston Celtics finished the 2017-18 season with a record of 55-27 — good enough for the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference. They only finished four games under the top-seeded Toronto Raptors.
Looking back on the season, despite not finishing at the top of the Eastern standings, the Celtics had a great year. They led the conference for a good portion of the season, but after awhile the injuries were too hard to overcome.
This begs the question of how much better they can be if they’re healthy. Every team endures injuries, but it was unfortunate how many the Celtics had. The Gordon Hayward injury was an unfortunate turn of events from opening night, and getting him healthy for the upcoming season will go a long way.
The other major injury occurred late in the season to starting point guard Kyrie Irving. Having him in the postseason could’ve had a major impact on the way things turned out. Regardless, not one player on the Celtics’ roster played all 82 games.
They had players that played 80-81 games, but not the full length of the season, and certainly not enough to make up for the significant injuries. If the Celtics want to compete this upcoming season, they will need to stay healthy. With LeBron James leaving the Eastern Conference to join forces with the Los Angeles Lakers, it now opens the door for any team in the East.
It’s an incredible feat that he’s been to the Finals every year since 2011, but with the King gone, teams in the East can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Now it appears that the conference will be a three-way battle between the Raptors, Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Despite DeMar DeRozan getting traded, the Raptors are still a threat — provided a healthy Kawhi Leonard shows up. The Celtics never had to do too much to propel themselves as Eastern Conference favorites because of where they stood last season.
More from Boston Celtics
- Why the new and improved Celtics are a major threat
- These two Celtics will be crucial to unlocking Kristaps Porzingis’ potential
- The new-look Celtics are closer than ever to an 18th title
- 3 Reasons Boston will regret trading Marcus Smart
- Ranking the 5 best available power forwards in 2023 NBA free agency
They have all the pieces to be one of the best teams for the next few years. More than likely, the Celtics’ starting lineup will include Irving, Jaylen Brown, Hayward, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford. That’s the same lineup that took the floor in the team’s season opener last year.
Another year of experience from Tatum and Brown will be vital to the team’s success. What those two have been able to do in their short careers thus far is scary for the rest of the NBA to have to compete against.
Mix that in with a healthy roster and an improved bench and the team is looking at another deep postseason run. Newly drafted big man Robert Williams was a great pick, and one that looks to be a steal if he can develop and get his act together.
He could have been a lottery pick, but due to injuries and off-the-court issues, Williams slid further than most had anticipated on draft night. The Celtics are the right team to fix some of these issues and if that does happen, he will be a great addition to the bench.
The Boston Celtics will win the East if they stay healthy. Claiming the top spot looked like a real possibility before things started to go south. Even with those troubles, they were still able to go deep in the playoffs, but fell short to LeBron James.
Next. 2018 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far. dark
If Leonard comes to play, the Raptors will have something to say. The Sixers will be a force if they too can stay healthy. For now though, the Celtics are still the superior team and have the better coaching staff necessary to push themselves into that top spot as the new kings of the East.