After making the NBA Finals the previous year, Boston was determined to do even better last season. They started the season with a vengeance by winning 21 of their first 26 games, but then the team started to slowly lose their edge and ended the regular season with “only” the #2 best record in the East. In the playoffs, they were eliminated by Miami where they did the toughest part (recover from a 0-3 deficit) just to lose the decisive Game 7 at home…
Boston was both a top 5 offensive and defensive team but under coach Joe Mazzulla they used a more 3pts focused offense. That worked against them in that Game 7 vs MIA though: 9-42 3pts, with 51% of their shots being 3 pointers but with just 21.4% efficiency.
2023/24 OUTLOOK:
It appears that the Celtics’ GM Brad Stevens has seen enough of this core of players and decided to partially break up the team. After making some trades, Boston changed their roster at the Point Guard and Center positions.
They will now have Kristaps Porzingis instead of Robert Williams III at the Center position, a move that goes into Mazzula’s preference for shooting 3pts as Boston’s main focus on offense. They will also have Jrue Holiday at the PG position, replacing Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon who are both gone. He will be playing alongside Derrick White and they should form the best defensive backcourt in the NBA.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will continue to be the team’s main players on offense and they should enjoy more space to operate on offense this season as they will be playing alongside Holiday and Porzingis instead of with Smart and Williams.
Boston sacrificed their depth in the offseason to improve their starting lineup, so the health status of their main players will be pivotal for them this season. However, if they go through the season relatively healthy, Boston is going to be the best team in the East at least during the regular season.
