Wednesday marks the beginning of the 2016 NBA season for the Boston Celtics.
They take on the Brooklyn Nets at the TD Garden in Boston at 7:30 p.m. Following a disappointing dismissal from the playoffs by now starting center Al Horford's old team the Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics are looking to start the season off with a win against the team whose first-round pick us under their control. With expectations at an all-time high since the 'big three' era, this Celtics team is primed to be a top contender in the Eastern Conference. With that being said, here are three reasons why the Celtics will be a top-three team in the East.
1. Defense
The Celtics roster will not blow you away with offensive firepower. Although there are guys who have the potential to shoot the lights out on any given night, like Isaiah Thomas and Gerald Green, they're not going to be blowing teams out of the water offensively night in and out. What the Celtics will do though is make it difficult for anyone to get a good shot up on the perimeter, play much stronger interior defense with the help from newly acquired Al Horford, and hustle for 50/50 balls on a nightly basis. The Celtics have two of the premier perimeter defenders in the NBA in Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart, both of which can produce at least two steals a game and make it impossible for opposing guards to drive into the paint. With another skilled big man in Al Horford to anchor the defense, Amir Johnson can play a lurking defensive presence role that he thrived in during his days in Toronto. The defense will look to improve on their number 13 ranking from last year and surely will be the reason behind many of the Celtics victories this season.
2. Promising Young Talent
In Philidelphia they say trust the process, that process being tanking for four years straight to try to secure top draft picks. In Boston however, in Danny Ainge we trust. The man who in 2013 traded away some of the most beloved Celtics of a generation is now in the process of creating the next great wave of Boston Celtics. With Jaylen Brown, the first real piece of the reward from the 2013 blockbuster, the Celtics have secured their high flyer of the future. Time after time in the preseason we saw Brown, when he had space, elevate over defenders in the paint and throw it down with authority. With the athleticism he possesses when Brown develops a jump shot he has the potential to be one of the best small forwards in the NBA. With two more Brooklyn picks on the way, this year and next and the Nets looking abysmal, the Celtics should be able to snag some of the top talent coming out of college and add it to a roster that already boasts some of the best young talent in the league.
3. Veteran Leadership
Al Horford is going to make the largest impact on this team since the arrival of KG back in 2007. The one thing this team lacked last year was veteran leadership from its big men. Although Horford isn't necessarily a vocal leader, the way he carries himself, practices, and plays has already resonated with his teammates. Avery Bradley said in an interview with the Providence Journal that, "Whenever I’m in pick-and-roll I feel like we have a chance to score every single time . . . Once I get him the ball, he’s going to make the right play 99 percent of the time." Jae Crowder has been quoted calling Horford "So unselfish" and said, "I love it. I know it’s going to be a great year. I love practicing alongside him. I can’t wait to go out there and play with him."
We all can't wait to see it all come together, Jae, let's go C's !!
