Community Poll: Power Rankings

On the surface it seems like all the excuses are worn out now. In 2017-2018, the Celtics were all about overcoming adversity and injuries, putting together a big run only to fall short against LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals. In 2018-2019, the expectations shifted towards the promise of what a healthy Celtics team could accomplish. However it didn’t all go quite to plan, as Jayson Tatum suggested via MassLive’s Tom Westerholm in early December 2018, “Maybe we believed the hype too much” prior to the season. “There was a big target on our backs. The teams were coming after us and we didn’t understand that.”

The unprecedented July Free Agency period and the changing landscape for contending teams suggest that once again the Celtics will assume the role of the hunter and not the hunted. Ushering in a squad of “high character” rookie talent alongside the existing core and a pair of talented free agents in Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter. Boston needs it’s young players to grow into bigger roles from the get go, and in the weakened East, many pundits including CelticsBlog’s Jeremy Stevens are projecting the Celtics to accumulate at or just under 50 wins next season.

The preliminary offseason power rankings have the Celtics pegged at 9th overall, ahead of teams like Golden State, Brooklyn, Indiana and the Raptors. With expectations lower than the two seasons prior, it’s time to cast a sideways glance at the opponents standing the Celtics way. CelticsBlog wants to know from you, did Boston do enough to be around 9th best and who do you think they need to beat out to climb higher?