The Boston Celtics will have replaced about half of their rotation — and roster — at the start of the 2019-20 season, resulting in there being plenty of intrigue surrounding the league’s winningest franchise.
That said, what fans should expect — as well as what they shouldn’t expect — has emerged as a hot topic amongst Celtics fans.
CelticsWire takes a stab at providing the team’s faithful with five bold predictions for 2019-20,
Jayson Tatum joins Kemba Walker in the All-Star Game
A mix of steady star power, the injury to Kevin Durant and the recent departure of Kawhi Leonard opens the door for Jayson Tatum to play in his first All-Star Game in 2019-20, joining a frontcourt cast that should include Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler and reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
As for Kemba Walker, there are certainly a couple of talented floor generals in the East but not many with more star power than Kemba. The Celtics’ newest point guard should expect to see Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons and perhaps even Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young in the All-Star game this season.
Neither player has to average over 20 points per game to earn their selections if they pass the eye test and the Celtics are playing well on the court.
A resurgent Gordon Hayward gets traded
Looking at the state of the Celtics long-term, after signing young wing Jaylen Brown to a lucrative contract extension, there’s one contract in particular that will handcuff the team in terms of their cap flexibility:
Gordon Hayward, who is owed $66.9 million over the next two seasons.
If Hayward looks to have truly returned to form, Boston will have to decide if his resurgence is just flash in the pan or sustainable. The former should make the Celtics more inclined to move Hayward, approaching 30-years-old and who has a player option on the final season of his deal.
There will be arguments as to what Hayward’s value is moving forward but there could be teams, contenders and non-contenders, interested in his services. Denver and Cleveland, for instance.
Boston has a top-10 defense
The key to the Celtics having a noteworthy defense is the decision to have veteran center Enes Kanter, the team’s weak link defensively, come off the bench.
As a starter, he and Kemba Walker would have been consistently targeted by opposing defenses, either in the pick-and-roll or their attempts to find mismatches in the post or perimeter.
With both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the wing, the Celtics have length and athleticism that could disrupt the actions of other teams and while Gordon Hayward’s defense will be tested as well, Brown has proven himself capable of guarding a team’s primary option on the wing and that keeps plenty of pressure off of Gordo.
In the second unit, rookie forward Grant Williams and Marcus Smart — who can easily finish a game for Boston while playing elite defense against a top player — help the team mask Kanter’s defensive shortcoming. Meanwhile, the defensive potential of Carsen Edwards and Romeo Langford only aids Boston’s bench.
As Stevens works out how to work in Vincent Poirier and Robert Williams III, the team will have a large group of players in the rotation who know how to thrive on the defensive end and many others who are willing to make their mark as defenders as well.
Boston wins 50 games, max
Aside from the fact that Boston won 49 games last season while failing to play high-level basketball consistently, Kawhi Leonard left the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets won’t be able to reach their potential until Kevin Durant returns from his Achilles surgery.
However, the Celtics’ slate of games from the New Years onward is brutal, with multiple matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks and what could be a fully-healthy Nets squad.
It’s not hard to see them losing 20 games in 2020 alone so a slow start against a few tough opponents to start their season, combined with the usual ups and downs that exist in any season, should leave Boston’s win total capped at about 50.
No player averages more than 20 ppg
There are quite a few mouths to feed in Boston once again but the primary difference is that the primary scorer isn’t as elite a scorer as their former guard. He’s also a far more willing facilitator (without being coached to do so).
That said, it isn’t difficult to see Kemba Walker with a sub-20-point scoring average.
This is the most offensive talent he’s had next to him since Mo Williams, Al Jefferson and Gerald Henderson were in Hornets uniforms but now he’s joined by Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown … and Carsen Edwards.
Walker has never played in front of such an explosive point guard and one who could help him manage his minutes as much as Edwards can and that will also be an interesting layer.
Meanwhile, with each of Tatum, Brown and Hayward looking to show themselves able to be featured scorers, it looks as if none them will be able to accomplish that feat because they’ll need to share the ball in order to be successful.
Perhaps if one of the core starters were to come off the bench it would increase the likelihood of the Celtics having a 20-point scorers but that puts Boston at risk at creating chemistry issues in yet another season.
The Celtics lose in the first round of the playoffs
Here’s the list of teams likely to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference: the Philadelphia 76ers, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat, the Brooklyn Nets, the Detroit Pistons, the Toronto Raptors, the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks.
Unfortunately, unless the Celtics face the Pistons, they’ll be in for a battle that could see them knocked out of the postseason early.
While the 76ers have arguably the most talented starting lineup in the East, the Bucks’ length on defense and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominance could cause problems for Boston once again.
Like the Hawks, the Raptors have wings and forwards that match up well with Boston’s — particularly on the defensive end — while housing point guards that will make Walker work on defense.
Meanwhile, though a healthy Nets team could obviously pose a threat to any team in the East, the Heat — a rather lanky ball club not unlike Philadelphia — play with an intensity that will test Boston night-in and night-out.
