FanPost

The Celtics are a sneaky contender for the 2019-20 NBA Title

The beginning of the Celtics offseason was very lackluster. Many Celtics fans, including myself, were absolutely over and done with Kyrie Irving, shocked that Al Horford wasn't returning, and were waiting for ANY good news Woj could provide us. Then the draft came around, and all of the major news sites led us fans to believe we were drafting the heralded 7'2 bigman in Bol Bol; the guy who was gonna turn the whole offseason around and paint the picture for the future. Danny passed on Bol four times, picking less popular picks in Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, Carsen Edwards, and Tremont Waters.

But Danny Ainge knew exactly what he was doing. He knew which guys this team needed to let go of, which draftees he needed to fill the holes with, and how he would make his splash in free agency. Danny got his guy. Danny got Kemba.

Kemba Walker is a player who can fill it up at any given game or moment. Kemba Walker is a player who lacks the big ego. Kemba Walker is a player who just needed the right city to shine in.

I believe Kemba Walker is the perfect alpha to have on this Celtic team, a player who can dazzle the crowd, while also playing within himself. I believe his presence both on the court and in the locker room will elevate his teammates around him.

Gordon Hayward will have his bounce-back year and return to his old form. Jayson Tatum will break out this year, his averages should be through the roof. Jaylen Brown is a player who could potentially be a Jimmy Butler clone, a lockdown defender who can score both inside and out. Enes Kanter was a great addition to this team, his rebounding prowess was a desperate need for the Celtics, and his pick and roll defense can be greatly improved with a little work. Marcus Smart will be Marcus Smart, the backbone of the squad. Grant Williams and Carsen Edwards should play an immediate impact, Williams as an all-around Draymond Green-type player and Edwards as an instant scorer off the bench.

Romeo likely will be the player least-used of the three, but his ceiling is high and will hopefully develop as quickly as Tatum and Brown have. Robert Williams should be an absolute monster inside, who could find himself in the starting lineup by the end of the season. Theis and Poirier should be helpful off the bench. I expect the Celtics to sign Waters and Tacko Fall to two-way deals. Both of those guys will play in the NBA and Tacko could be a great weapon who could play a role of light minutes-great production, similar to that of Boban Marjonovic.

The bottomline for this team is that it should mesh together well. Each player compliments one another and the ball movement should be a sight to see this season.

We have to remember that Brad Stevens does more with less. He took a team led by 5'9 Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, and Al Horford to a #1 seed in the East, whose season faltered by the injury of Isaiah and the presence of LeBron James, the most dominant player of all-time. Stevens then followed that season ending only a game short of taking a team in the playoffs led by Horford, a 20-year old Brown, and a 19-year old Tatum to the NBA Finals. This past season, Stevens had as much talent as he's had his whole tenure as Celtics coach, but that locker room was filled with ego. Now, his locker room has been drained of that ego and put under the new leadership of Smart and Walker, allowing Stevens to start over with similar talent and more team-first guys. Stevens now has players that should possess the willingness and talent to flourish in his system.

Sure, the Lakers finally got Anthony Davis. Sure, the Clippers are probably the favorites after their blockbuster-filled offseason. Yeah, the Sixers took Al and are probably the popular favorite in the East. But the league has truly evened out, and this gives the Celtics a golden opportunity to sneak up on a championship trophy #18.

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