A lot has changed for the Boston Celtics this offseason, changes which have altered expectations and raised questions for the year ahead.
Losing star players is never easy, not for the team nor the fans, losing two stars in short succession is even harder. With Kyrie Irving and Al Horford both leaving the Boston Celtics to play on contending teams in the East it has been a bitter pill to swallow. Making matters worse is the fact that these moves make it difficult to envision Boston in the conference finals in the upcoming season.
While contention might not be impossible, lady luck will need to shine down on Beantown regularly to position the Celtics as contenders in the East. Realistically, the roster as currently constructed has the potential to make the conference semi-finals next year.
Any further than this requires jumps from players such as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, while a return to form for Gordon Hayward increases the likelihood of another deep playoff run.
As promising as the upcoming season may be, there are three major questions which need answering before it becomes clear how far this Celtics team can go.