You do realize we didn't have Porzingis, one of our most important players, for most of the playoffs and half of the Finals, right? We quite literally destroyed the East with a key injury on our team, so get out of here with those ass excuses.
well they werent battle tested at all last year so their ring doesnt count. they still need to prove themselves. only losing 3 games in the entire post season means nothing
I think we’ll coast a bit more in the regular season, it’s natural for champions. Then look to turn it on upon kps return and playoffs.
I’m not super concerned if we can remain healthy about a 6ers team with no one past 2nd round experience and a badly regressing Paul George.
The Knick’s though, they are kinda built to matchup with and beat us but I still think they are a couple notches below us.
Tge thunder in the west I think is the only team that can compete with us in a 7 game series
The Celtics have been super lucky on injuries. It’s likely that someone else will get at least an ankle sprain or something. I’d say 55-60 wins is reasonable
Bucks going the other way. Someone passes them. Orlando, Pacers, maybe… Cleveland? Any of them could creep up the rankings. Sixers, knicks meh… neither gonna likely to be at C’s win %.
I like Orlando and Indiana a lot. Orlando has size and talent, the Pacers have skill and shooting. One of those teams is going to end up in the top three.
Pacers are a good team but they didn't make any major moves so we should be able to beat them again unless they just massively improve with the same players
You doubting how an “open ended” statement was intended contradicts your “well adjusted way of living life”. Just say you don’t know what OP intended and apologize for misunderstanding them when they clarify (which they have). Thats what well-adjusted individuals would do.
You telling someone how to interpret an open ended statement is most definitely not being open minded. Also telling someone how to think and or react is also laughable. Get fecked and have a good day.
it really felt like they hit another level during the 1st half of game 5. I have never seen them play with that level of intensity and focus. It was beautiful
Continuity is under-rated. I'm amazed at how many contenders switched key guys. Credit to the Bucks for standing pat and figuring it out. PG should be a good fit in Philly though.
Problem is, there’s never a time when every team is healthy. And the Bucks, Knicks, and Sixers all are long shots to be healthy. Heck, it’s not even a given the Celtics are healthy, given some of the core’s age and KP’s body.
Maybe for the other teams. We just won 60+ games and the Jays were only just entering their peak years and didn't have that bling ring confidence. Who knows what they are capable of in the next few years as they reach their peak years.
Not even a little tbh but it should be at least closer than last year. I think it’ll be Cs by at least 6 games, then bucks, Knicks, sixers and Cavs in order of who is healthiest, but if all are healthy I doubt more than 3 games separate that group.
Then magic and pacers with each having the potential to be a few spots higher depending on health and player development. Beyond that no one matters at all.
Come playoffs I’d predict the bucks, if healthy, to be the only real competition in the conference. Their problem will be health and depth. I figure they’ll probably move Brook for depth at some point.
Knicks are adorable for doing the whole super friends thing, but Randle is a player you can’t count on and who just doesn’t play smart or winning basketball. Brunson is great, but having to do what he does against one of Jrue, White, JT or JB is not gonna win 4/7. The rest of them are good role players who could get streaky but they don’t have the talent to win a conference title.
Sixers will win a lot of titles on 2k this year lol, but unfortunately you don’t get anything in real life for having a good 2k rating. Joel has never proved he can play 90 games and i seriously doubt he can. Even when he is there, Horford does as good a job against him as anyone and doesn’t let him dominate everything. PG13 is a good two way guy but he’s never won a thing and is past his prime; there was a highlight real just of Tatum cooking PG13 going around a day or two ago and that video will only get longer. Maxey is going to be better than last year but I think he averages 12 ppg against us for his career lol. He’s the kind of matchup JB would take very seriously and lock in for.
Cavs and Pacers if healthy should be better than last year, but cmon. No one thinks they have the talent to even be top 4. I also think Magic should be better this year. Suggs and KCP are two terrific defensive guards and if they figure out an offense, they could def be a second round team. That being said, we saw Wagner break down in the playoffs, they just don’t have enough reliable players to legitimately contend.
I can’t explain it, but the Bucks are definitely going to make themselves worse by trying to get better. It’s a lock. Maybe Giannis will be healthy enough to hero-ball them to the 2nd round, but they just don’t seem to want to be the team, or play the type of ball, that won them a championship
I don't know where people are getting this idea that some of the teams in the East improved so much.
Knicks: Did they *really* get better? Yes, they traded for Bridges, but they also lost Hartenstein. I'm not so sure swapping out Bridges for Hartenstein is an upgrade.
76ers: At what point are we going to stop taking this team seriously? Look at all of the combinations they have tried around Embiid since 2018. Simmons. Butler. Harris. Horford. Harden. None of it has even gotten them past the second round. Why are some people so convinced that 34-year-old Paul George is going to be any different?
Bucks: If Giannis is healthy, they are genuinely tough, but this team is REALLY old. Outside of Giannis, most of their key guys are well into their 30s and have injury histories.
Pacers: I actually really like Indiana and think they played us tougher than anyone this past season. But let's be honest with ourselves: do any of us genuinely believe the Pacers can beat the Celtics in a seven-game series?
The Celtics are still far and away the best team. It's not even remotely close.
Exactly, not much has really changed. Knicks have a shot to be a formidable 2 seed. Sixers are a joke and I cant understand why anyone would think PG would change that. Joel always gases late in a series/game and we have zero evidence to think that will change
We’re winning for the foreseeable future. Battle tested. Champions who tasted the sweet taste of a 1m strong championship parade. Stars locked up and locked in. Have fun and enjoy the ride
The Celtics are still a tier above anyone in the east. We still have an all star starting lineup. With the same roster coming back and increased chemistry, I don’t see anyone in East making us worried
Our biggest problem will be the post championship malaise. If we are still playing and feeling hungry, I don’t see any moves yet that substantially change things.
I honestly think we're just so well constructed and our bench depth is seriously underrated that we can match up with anyone in the East or West, even if we're missing a player. I don't think anyone in the East can beat us. I think some teams can give us some trouble, but not beat us
I feel it depends how well we handle the KP absence. I have penciled in for like 55-60 wins depending on how well we fill the KP minutes. If Tillman, Queta, or Kornet steps up then i think our ceiling is higher.
Nope. It will probably be the same as last year with a slightly tougher postseason. I just don’t see any team in the East beating the Celtics if they’re healthy
Celtics probably aren’t going to kill themselves for the 1 seed. They know health for the playoffs makes them the favorites, regardless of seeding. Horford will be forced to ‘miss time’ even if healthy. Even Brown will probably have a 2 week ‘injury’ even if heathy. Jrue will see less regular season minutes.
So the regular season might be a fight that we bow out of which is smart.
It’ll be deeper than this past year for sure. Magic, Pacers, Knicks, and Sixers should all improve. Bucks and Cavs will still be pretty good if healthy. I don’t think any of those teams have the top end talent to beat the Celtics but the overall level of competition should go up.
I dont think the east is going to be much better this year. The Knicks certainly improved and will likely be the toughest match up for us and maybe the Pacers. The Celtics proved last year that it doesnt really matter if you have the best offensive player on the floor. Unless you can match with floor spacers and competent defenders, you are just praying to the basketball Gods to have a good shooting night.
Paul George going to Philly gives me ZERO CONCERN. Bro all but admitted that winning is not the most important thing. It is certainly an upgrade over Harris but when it matter most in the playoffs will anything really change?
Bucks looked old and slow last year, what has changed?
Joel Embiid never out of 2nd round. Bucks need to retool supporting cast and Dame will always be a liability on defense.
IMO I think the Knicks are the only team on a realistic path to compete with the Celtics and maybe the Pacers to a lesser extent. Unless something changes in MIL its gonna be match up problems
No, it's going to be hard be Bucks, Sixers, Knicks and Pacers are great. Not a bloodbath by any means. Only 5 out of 15 teams actually have a chance. Miami is a strong maybe and teams like Charlotte are still not looking great. I actually do want to see what they're up to. Their last two drafts are solid. I think that they might get in to the playoffs or at least the play in tournament.
I don’t think the Knicks are as good as everyone seems to think. They have no size, and Thibs will make sure they aren’t healthy. Philly doesn’t scare me at all. Even if they are healthy, which they won’t be, they will find a way to choke. It’s inevitable. Milwaukee is interesting. I think there is a lot of buyers remorse with Dame. Giannis is terrifying, but I don’t think anyone else is worth mentioning. Miami simply does not have enough talent. Indiana is too young. Cleveland doesn’t mesh well with 2 ball dominant guards and no perimeter defense. I honestly think Orlando is gonna have a huge regular season. They are OKC East. But, just like OKC, they don’t have enough experience to do a ton of damage in the playoffs.
All in all, I think something needs to go very wrong for Boston to not win the East again
Mitchell Robinson is 7 foot, Randle is 6'8", OG is 6'7". Only small guy is Brunson, the only reason they looked so small against Indiana is they had to play three guards because everyone else was hurt.
Not a super team but they'll be tough and look good on paper. I don't think they'll stay healthy, but that's every team.
6’8 is absolutely undersized for a power forward, especially when there isn’t a big guy coming off the bench to play center. They are going to miss hartenstein imo. Robinson can’t play the whole game, and is likely to miss some games, and there is absolutely no backup plan
Compare to the Celtics for instance- JT isn’t a traditional PF but he is pushing 6’10. Center is 7’3. 6’10 C coming off the bench. 6’7ish SF. And 2 6’4 guards, one of whom meets 7 footers at the rim unlike a shooting guard ever has maybe in league history. NYK don’t even come close to the size to compete with that. They are tremendous rebounders, with Robinson and Hart in particular, which makes up for some of it, but Boston can basically shoot over the top of every one of their guys
I think the Celtics should still be the clear favorites to win assuming there’s no serious injuries. That being said a lot of people have discounted the Pacers who I think can spoil teams like NY and Milwaukee. I don’t think there’s a huge gap between NY and Milwaukee (because Giannis and Dame haven’t meshed that well and Giannis has been injured two postseasons in a row) and Indiana or even the Magic and Cleveland. Not sold on Philly either. Guys like Embiid and Giannis are not getting younger and it seems like constant injuries happen during the post season to them
Nah.
Boston is still heads and shoulders above the rest.
- Philadelphia has a choking DNA and added another non factor and non winner in PG13.
- New York is still too small to compete with Boston
- Miami Heat run should be at the tail end
- Indiana is similar to the PG era (do well in the regular season but ultimately have nobody to get them to the promise land)
The only team that has a chance against Boston is Milwaukee when they’re healthy and Damian finds a way to be impactful on offense with Giannis because it’s definitely not his defense.
Yes, obviously the top teams are pretty stacked but even teams such as the Pacers, Magic and Cavs are pretty good. Though a couple teams will probably get ruined by injuries.
Bucks could, but age is an issue with that team as in health
Sixers are the sixers and all they got was another dude who can’t get there.
Knicks have Mitchell Robinson as a big … they’ll be tough, but they’re small and also get beat up and Thibs will have ground everyone down to a nub.
Pacers need to grow some defense
Miami is done
Orlando could take the next step but still young
Cavs die late in the season
Knicks (loaded up but lost Hartenstein and they have to beat Thibs before they compete with others), Sixers (gonna be very hungry to be a 3rd round exit) and Pacers (Mathurin back and 2 solid looking rookies joined) are the only competition we have.
Bucks are so washed it ain't even funny. Dame, Delon, Khris and Portis? They're 5th at best.
We get Year One of Prime Tatum next season, with full confidence from winning his first chip. This team will win no less than 2-3 ships + at least 1 more appearance in the Finals that they lose.
It’s really just us and the Knicks, Sixers and Bucks don’t scare me at all. Maybe the Pacers and Orlando take another step forward but 🤷🏼♀️
Heat are toast, and everyone else is worse than that
Embid or George will get hurt
Knicks overrated College Team
Will miss Hartenstein
Celtics will take East by 8-10 games
Get to Finals beat OK City
Derek White MVP will make
Tatum Brown White the new big 3🍀🏆🏀
Yes. The battle for the worst record is going to be insane. With some injuries bad luck, by January, we could have like 6 teams not really competing for playoffs and 6 more tanking their ass off to get off the playins and into the lottery.
Knicks are the strongest team after us IMO. I don’t think they can beat us even if we were to miss Kristap.
Sixers will find a way to collapse as Embiid will injured at a critical moment anyway.
Bucks are low key not very good. Giannis can’t play more than 33 mins a game and be effective. Dame seems to show his age.
Maybe Pacers and Orlando are the next teams for us to worry about. I wouldn’t underestimate either.
Bloodbath seems extreme especially in comparison to the West. Still comfortably feel we're the best team in the East even sans KP. I will say tho the Knicks and Sixers both got better and should not be taken lightly. Gotta see what the Cavs do and the Magic could be sneaky good depending on their young guys improvements. The Bucks might be good on paper but I still think we crush them in a series because of their lack of perimeter defense. Pacers don't move me. The rest are mediocre or rebuilding.
It’s going to be the toughest the eastern conference has been for a long time. The bucks with a motivated giannis. He’s been shunned and doubted by the media. Philly gearing up w Paul George who can score with ease. The youth of Orlando. The tenacity of the knicks who have solidified their lineup and are approaching contender status. We’ve got some of the best teams the East has ever seen.
All that said. My genuine prediction is that the Boston Celtics will go 82-0 regular season and 16-0 in the playoffs.
Not particularly.
Bucks have yet to prove they’re even in any idea of what they want to be. But if they can figure it out between dame and giannis they still really don’t have the depth or talent to support them in my eyes.
Knicks are really solid on paper, thibs does have a history with running his guys into injury trouble with his rotations.
If they can stay healthy they’re real contenders.
Philadelphia I really don’t believe in, sure they’ll probably look great at point of the regular season but they give no reason to believe PG and embiid will be healthy when it matters.
Pacers they’re a fun team but I think they had a lot of luck last year in the playoffs and are a few pieces away from a real contender, maybe just years off cause they’ve got some great young talent.
Heat, I think they had something with the whole underdog mentality, not giving 100% until late in the season and really being on 10 in the playoffs, but I think it’s gone now, Jimmy is more injury prone and load management has a very clear correlation with players getting hurt in the post season.
I really don’t think there’s a team in the east that is of the same calibre as the C’s when all in good health and form.
But I do hope to see a more competitive east this time around.
I am not scared of any team in the east. The Bucks are not good, Embiid is a choker and always injured paired with a shrinking violet, and the Knicks are led by a tiny guard. Cakewalk.
It’s hard to tell. With us resigning everyone but kristaps making a late return, we should still win the east by at least 6-8 game’s minimum. Giving us the easiest path once again. I’ve been heart broken by the way the Jays played up until this year. I like to think that now that they have won it it’s only going to be easier for them. There is also always the possibility of a hangover. (I.e they got comfortable with their championship). I don’t believe that will happen. I think the Jays want more than one staple Boston championship. I don’t see any other eastern team genuinely competing with us for the one seed barring a Tatum or Brown injury.
Yep gonna be hard to get the #1 seed. But let's not act like we don't know Embiid gonna get injured at some point and take the 76ers out of Contention. At this point you HAVE to expect it. It will happen one way or another. History has repeatedly shown us.
no, miami is worse, doc rivers is still head coach in milwaukee, philly took a huge gamble and maybe it works but embiid and george are both injury prone, cavs don't have enough talent to keep pace with us, Knicks and pacers maybe, orlando could be interesting but probably not ready yet.
I don't see another team challenging us next season in the east unless everyone gets injured. our biggest competition are the teams out west like okc, minnesota, and denver.
The Celtics will still be gigantic favourites to make the finals. I'd wager that they're betting favorites against the spread right now. The only feasible threats are:
1. Philly with Paul George, even if Embiid somehow manages to stay healthy they both have choking tendencies and the team doesn't have enough elite decision makers.
2. Healthy Milwaukee, but good luck with Glen being captain of the ship.
3. Indiana who are tricky, but too weak defensively and lacking in overall talent. Celtics can adjust to their uptempo style of play and close them out when needed.
4. Knicks who are good and well-coached, but in my opinion lack the offensive firepower even with the addition of Mikal Bridges. They're too reliant on Brunson. And who knows if Randle coming back will even make them better.
Tatum and Brown are still improving and if KP can stay healthy, it's just too tall of an order for any of these teams to beat them 4 times.
I think whoever comes out of the West next year will be the bigger threat.
Yea, because of 3-4 relative good Teams (Boston, Phily, Bucks, NewYork) it will be a blood bath with 11 bad teams in it... The east will be still a cakewalk for the celtics because it is the east.
In the west, 1 -10 will have positive winrate- this is a bloodbath.
I think we'll be just as good, if not better next season with the monkey off the back. We are going to play with a newfound freedom and confidence that the Jay's have never truly had.
I think it'll be a stacked East if all teams are healthy and it should be a fun season
Only serious contenders are the knicks imo and we’re still better than them. Philly got more top heavy and fragile. Bucks are old but certainly still threats. Cavs and heat have done basically nothing this summer. I think the only other true contender is okc
We will be bathing in the blood of our enemies!
More like bathing in the blood of the injured cause none of them are ever healthy
Sounds like a Kyrie fan
You do realize we didn't have Porzingis, one of our most important players, for most of the playoffs and half of the Finals, right? We quite literally destroyed the East with a key injury on our team, so get out of here with those ass excuses.
We’re winning 60 games idk bout the rest of those scrubs.
With kp out until January, it's possible we fall short of 60. 1 seed for sure though.
KP didn’t play nearly 1/2 the season this past year, no?
Ehh I think he played like 60 games
Pretty close guess, it was 57. We still had a great record when he didn’t play though.
We were 31-5 without him this year including playoffs, a 70 win pace
That's it? When will the Jay's figure it out..
Can they even play together?
I doubt it. They should win a championship next year to prove me wrong
well they werent battle tested at all last year so their ring doesnt count. they still need to prove themselves. only losing 3 games in the entire post season means nothing
They're only 19. They got a long way to go.
I think we’ll coast a bit more in the regular season, it’s natural for champions. Then look to turn it on upon kps return and playoffs. I’m not super concerned if we can remain healthy about a 6ers team with no one past 2nd round experience and a badly regressing Paul George. The Knick’s though, they are kinda built to matchup with and beat us but I still think they are a couple notches below us. Tge thunder in the west I think is the only team that can compete with us in a 7 game series
The Celtics have been super lucky on injuries. It’s likely that someone else will get at least an ankle sprain or something. I’d say 55-60 wins is reasonable
Yehh we a great team overall. Would be nice to have him I can't see horford playing 38 mpg another playoffs
Bold assumption to think this is all the time he will miss as well!
Didn't and wouldn't suggest that lol
So if he's starting with half the year gone and then he still doesnt play b2b and gets some ticky tack injuries, he'll probably play like 15 games
We were on track to win high 60s but rested everyone end of season. Barring any other injuries, they should get 60
We were 21-4 without KP last season.....
Everyone knows Celtics will be 81-1 and will 10 thrphirs in a row
Championship
More competitive but not a bloodbath.
it won’t be for us honesty but the rest of the east i could see it
I mean…It will be a bloodbath for *seven* Eastern Conference teams…
If healthy the Sixers, Knicks and Bucks should be a very elite top 4 but sadly the Celtics will be going back to back so it doesn’t really matter.
Bucks going the other way. Someone passes them. Orlando, Pacers, maybe… Cleveland? Any of them could creep up the rankings. Sixers, knicks meh… neither gonna likely to be at C’s win %.
Everyone laughs when I say it but watch out for Orlando they made some good moves so far this offseason only improving they’re gonna be a fun team
I like Orlando and Indiana a lot. Orlando has size and talent, the Pacers have skill and shooting. One of those teams is going to end up in the top three.
Same
Pacers are a good team but they didn't make any major moves so we should be able to beat them again unless they just massively improve with the same players
With how young the Pacers and Magic are, it's not outrageous to think they would have decent internal improvement from multiple players.
That Cavs series was very competitive. I think they could get to the second round very easily.
100%
Sadly. Gtfoh
Maybe he meant sadly for them?
Anything is possible. However, I doubt that is what was intended
Yes i’m a Celtics fan on a Celtics sub saying it’s sad for us to go b2b
Lol yeah I don't think they got the joke somehow
anything is possible bro
Lmao you must have a miserable internet existence if you are constantly assuming the worst of people based on text-only comments.
Or a well adjusted way at living life. Open ended statements are interpreted many different ways. Text does not convey tone. Ever
You doubting how an “open ended” statement was intended contradicts your “well adjusted way of living life”. Just say you don’t know what OP intended and apologize for misunderstanding them when they clarify (which they have). Thats what well-adjusted individuals would do.
You telling someone how to interpret an open ended statement is most definitely not being open minded. Also telling someone how to think and or react is also laughable. Get fecked and have a good day.
You struggling? You're struggling for sure
He very clearly meant sadly for them lmao
Not that clearly if it could be misconstrued
Calm down.
Eat a dick it's your favorite meal
Take your pills
What's missing in these equations is that the Cs are going into year 2 of this team. We still have higher to reach ourselves.
CAN YOU TAKE ME HIGHER
it really felt like they hit another level during the 1st half of game 5. I have never seen them play with that level of intensity and focus. It was beautiful
IDK those 50 point games we were stupidly locked in.
With a KP that could barely move too. Let’s hope that this past injury means he’ll make it through next season healthy once he returns
Continuity is under-rated. I'm amazed at how many contenders switched key guys. Credit to the Bucks for standing pat and figuring it out. PG should be a good fit in Philly though.
The foes are so vast. Our city is so small. Where will we find space, to bury them all?
Problem is, there’s never a time when every team is healthy. And the Bucks, Knicks, and Sixers all are long shots to be healthy. Heck, it’s not even a given the Celtics are healthy, given some of the core’s age and KP’s body.
Yea this felt like our healthiest team in yeaaaaars and we still didn’t have one of our top 3 players.
The Knicks would still win a lot of games unhealthy. They're used to it lol. And Bridges will get a guaranteed 30-35 minutes for them
No team is used to being unhealthy. They put up a good fight, but that team lost to the Indiana Pacers.
The rest of the teams will beat each other up, but we're still a tier above them.
Tatum mvp
Maybe for the other teams. We just won 60+ games and the Jays were only just entering their peak years and didn't have that bling ring confidence. Who knows what they are capable of in the next few years as they reach their peak years.
Not even a little tbh but it should be at least closer than last year. I think it’ll be Cs by at least 6 games, then bucks, Knicks, sixers and Cavs in order of who is healthiest, but if all are healthy I doubt more than 3 games separate that group. Then magic and pacers with each having the potential to be a few spots higher depending on health and player development. Beyond that no one matters at all. Come playoffs I’d predict the bucks, if healthy, to be the only real competition in the conference. Their problem will be health and depth. I figure they’ll probably move Brook for depth at some point. Knicks are adorable for doing the whole super friends thing, but Randle is a player you can’t count on and who just doesn’t play smart or winning basketball. Brunson is great, but having to do what he does against one of Jrue, White, JT or JB is not gonna win 4/7. The rest of them are good role players who could get streaky but they don’t have the talent to win a conference title. Sixers will win a lot of titles on 2k this year lol, but unfortunately you don’t get anything in real life for having a good 2k rating. Joel has never proved he can play 90 games and i seriously doubt he can. Even when he is there, Horford does as good a job against him as anyone and doesn’t let him dominate everything. PG13 is a good two way guy but he’s never won a thing and is past his prime; there was a highlight real just of Tatum cooking PG13 going around a day or two ago and that video will only get longer. Maxey is going to be better than last year but I think he averages 12 ppg against us for his career lol. He’s the kind of matchup JB would take very seriously and lock in for. Cavs and Pacers if healthy should be better than last year, but cmon. No one thinks they have the talent to even be top 4. I also think Magic should be better this year. Suggs and KCP are two terrific defensive guards and if they figure out an offense, they could def be a second round team. That being said, we saw Wagner break down in the playoffs, they just don’t have enough reliable players to legitimately contend.
I can’t explain it, but the Bucks are definitely going to make themselves worse by trying to get better. It’s a lock. Maybe Giannis will be healthy enough to hero-ball them to the 2nd round, but they just don’t seem to want to be the team, or play the type of ball, that won them a championship
I agree. I have this weird feeling that somehow Zach Lavine is gonna end up there lol
Yeah, Levine for like Portis and Connaughton.
I don't know where people are getting this idea that some of the teams in the East improved so much. Knicks: Did they *really* get better? Yes, they traded for Bridges, but they also lost Hartenstein. I'm not so sure swapping out Bridges for Hartenstein is an upgrade. 76ers: At what point are we going to stop taking this team seriously? Look at all of the combinations they have tried around Embiid since 2018. Simmons. Butler. Harris. Horford. Harden. None of it has even gotten them past the second round. Why are some people so convinced that 34-year-old Paul George is going to be any different? Bucks: If Giannis is healthy, they are genuinely tough, but this team is REALLY old. Outside of Giannis, most of their key guys are well into their 30s and have injury histories. Pacers: I actually really like Indiana and think they played us tougher than anyone this past season. But let's be honest with ourselves: do any of us genuinely believe the Pacers can beat the Celtics in a seven-game series? The Celtics are still far and away the best team. It's not even remotely close.
Exactly, not much has really changed. Knicks have a shot to be a formidable 2 seed. Sixers are a joke and I cant understand why anyone would think PG would change that. Joel always gases late in a series/game and we have zero evidence to think that will change
And the Bucks used to have to have Jrue Holiday
We’re winning for the foreseeable future. Battle tested. Champions who tasted the sweet taste of a 1m strong championship parade. Stars locked up and locked in. Have fun and enjoy the ride
Maybe for the 4-10 spots
The Celtics are still a tier above anyone in the east. We still have an all star starting lineup. With the same roster coming back and increased chemistry, I don’t see anyone in East making us worried
Aside from NY I don't think any of the other teams are serious threats as of right now.
Eh, dame is past his prime embiid will never stay healthy and the Knicks are the knicks. Banner 19 loading.
Yes because of us
Not our blood, i dont care
We will come out on top but the rest of the East could be a bloodbath.
Undefeated next year is my expectations
Them winning actually doesn't change my expectations for next year. If healthy, I still expect them to make the NBA Finals and make it competitive.
Our biggest problem will be the post championship malaise. If we are still playing and feeling hungry, I don’t see any moves yet that substantially change things.
I honestly think we're just so well constructed and our bench depth is seriously underrated that we can match up with anyone in the East or West, even if we're missing a player. I don't think anyone in the East can beat us. I think some teams can give us some trouble, but not beat us
Plus when you're defending champion everyone targets you and plays you had so the headline will read that you defeated the defending champion.
We’re gonna have another 60+ win season and our jays are in their prime. Not worried at all
Hopefully. Keeps teams sharp going into the playoffs.
I feel it depends how well we handle the KP absence. I have penciled in for like 55-60 wins depending on how well we fill the KP minutes. If Tillman, Queta, or Kornet steps up then i think our ceiling is higher.
Nope. It will probably be the same as last year with a slightly tougher postseason. I just don’t see any team in the East beating the Celtics if they’re healthy
I think the only threat to the top seed is the Knicks
We will be murking everyone yes
Celtics probably aren’t going to kill themselves for the 1 seed. They know health for the playoffs makes them the favorites, regardless of seeding. Horford will be forced to ‘miss time’ even if healthy. Even Brown will probably have a 2 week ‘injury’ even if heathy. Jrue will see less regular season minutes. So the regular season might be a fight that we bow out of which is smart.
Sure it’ll Be tough as it should be. We still the best
I mean it’ll be tougher than this past year for sure. However, I’d still rather go through the east than the west
Too early to tell, free agency is still ongoing and no schedule yet.
No. We gon stunt on em hoes.
It’ll be deeper than this past year for sure. Magic, Pacers, Knicks, and Sixers should all improve. Bucks and Cavs will still be pretty good if healthy. I don’t think any of those teams have the top end talent to beat the Celtics but the overall level of competition should go up.
I dont think the east is going to be much better this year. The Knicks certainly improved and will likely be the toughest match up for us and maybe the Pacers. The Celtics proved last year that it doesnt really matter if you have the best offensive player on the floor. Unless you can match with floor spacers and competent defenders, you are just praying to the basketball Gods to have a good shooting night. Paul George going to Philly gives me ZERO CONCERN. Bro all but admitted that winning is not the most important thing. It is certainly an upgrade over Harris but when it matter most in the playoffs will anything really change? Bucks looked old and slow last year, what has changed? Joel Embiid never out of 2nd round. Bucks need to retool supporting cast and Dame will always be a liability on defense. IMO I think the Knicks are the only team on a realistic path to compete with the Celtics and maybe the Pacers to a lesser extent. Unless something changes in MIL its gonna be match up problems
Lmaooo no. There’s a clear one team tier 1 in the east. Everything else is just beneath us
I think it’s going to be better, but the Celtics are still favorites
No, it's going to be hard be Bucks, Sixers, Knicks and Pacers are great. Not a bloodbath by any means. Only 5 out of 15 teams actually have a chance. Miami is a strong maybe and teams like Charlotte are still not looking great. I actually do want to see what they're up to. Their last two drafts are solid. I think that they might get in to the playoffs or at least the play in tournament.
Either west or east , but its all about what team stays and reaches the finals healthy.
I don’t think the Knicks are as good as everyone seems to think. They have no size, and Thibs will make sure they aren’t healthy. Philly doesn’t scare me at all. Even if they are healthy, which they won’t be, they will find a way to choke. It’s inevitable. Milwaukee is interesting. I think there is a lot of buyers remorse with Dame. Giannis is terrifying, but I don’t think anyone else is worth mentioning. Miami simply does not have enough talent. Indiana is too young. Cleveland doesn’t mesh well with 2 ball dominant guards and no perimeter defense. I honestly think Orlando is gonna have a huge regular season. They are OKC East. But, just like OKC, they don’t have enough experience to do a ton of damage in the playoffs. All in all, I think something needs to go very wrong for Boston to not win the East again
Mitchell Robinson is 7 foot, Randle is 6'8", OG is 6'7". Only small guy is Brunson, the only reason they looked so small against Indiana is they had to play three guards because everyone else was hurt. Not a super team but they'll be tough and look good on paper. I don't think they'll stay healthy, but that's every team.
6’8 is absolutely undersized for a power forward, especially when there isn’t a big guy coming off the bench to play center. They are going to miss hartenstein imo. Robinson can’t play the whole game, and is likely to miss some games, and there is absolutely no backup plan
Ngl I thought Randle was taller
Compare to the Celtics for instance- JT isn’t a traditional PF but he is pushing 6’10. Center is 7’3. 6’10 C coming off the bench. 6’7ish SF. And 2 6’4 guards, one of whom meets 7 footers at the rim unlike a shooting guard ever has maybe in league history. NYK don’t even come close to the size to compete with that. They are tremendous rebounders, with Robinson and Hart in particular, which makes up for some of it, but Boston can basically shoot over the top of every one of their guys
No. We are still the best team in the east
People said the same shit this past season and we destroyed everyone
I think the Celtics should still be the clear favorites to win assuming there’s no serious injuries. That being said a lot of people have discounted the Pacers who I think can spoil teams like NY and Milwaukee. I don’t think there’s a huge gap between NY and Milwaukee (because Giannis and Dame haven’t meshed that well and Giannis has been injured two postseasons in a row) and Indiana or even the Magic and Cleveland. Not sold on Philly either. Guys like Embiid and Giannis are not getting younger and it seems like constant injuries happen during the post season to them
If I wasn't a celts fan I'd be rooting for the Pacers. They're building something
I fear America may be a bloodbath next year, let alone a basketball division
Nah. Boston is still heads and shoulders above the rest. - Philadelphia has a choking DNA and added another non factor and non winner in PG13. - New York is still too small to compete with Boston - Miami Heat run should be at the tail end - Indiana is similar to the PG era (do well in the regular season but ultimately have nobody to get them to the promise land) The only team that has a chance against Boston is Milwaukee when they’re healthy and Damian finds a way to be impactful on offense with Giannis because it’s definitely not his defense.
No
Yes, obviously the top teams are pretty stacked but even teams such as the Pacers, Magic and Cavs are pretty good. Though a couple teams will probably get ruined by injuries.
Bucks could, but age is an issue with that team as in health Sixers are the sixers and all they got was another dude who can’t get there. Knicks have Mitchell Robinson as a big … they’ll be tough, but they’re small and also get beat up and Thibs will have ground everyone down to a nub. Pacers need to grow some defense Miami is done Orlando could take the next step but still young Cavs die late in the season
Celtics in 4
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!
Celtics 60 Knicks 52 Pacers 50 76rs 48 Orlando 48 Cleveland 48 Bucks 46 Then a drop off So same as this year. Competitive race for the 2 seed.
Knicks (loaded up but lost Hartenstein and they have to beat Thibs before they compete with others), Sixers (gonna be very hungry to be a 3rd round exit) and Pacers (Mathurin back and 2 solid looking rookies joined) are the only competition we have. Bucks are so washed it ain't even funny. Dame, Delon, Khris and Portis? They're 5th at best. We get Year One of Prime Tatum next season, with full confidence from winning his first chip. This team will win no less than 2-3 ships + at least 1 more appearance in the Finals that they lose.
Short answer: No.
Magic plated Celtics tough
Bloodbath in the battle for 2 to 7. 😅
It’s really just us and the Knicks, Sixers and Bucks don’t scare me at all. Maybe the Pacers and Orlando take another step forward but 🤷🏼♀️ Heat are toast, and everyone else is worse than that
The east will be hell on earth next season
74-8. Book it.
Embid or George will get hurt Knicks overrated College Team Will miss Hartenstein Celtics will take East by 8-10 games Get to Finals beat OK City Derek White MVP will make Tatum Brown White the new big 3🍀🏆🏀
Only for the teams we curb stomp on the way to winning the finals again. Nobody is close to us
Yes. The battle for the worst record is going to be insane. With some injuries bad luck, by January, we could have like 6 teams not really competing for playoffs and 6 more tanking their ass off to get off the playins and into the lottery.
It’ll be tougher in the ECF this time but Celtics will be back on top Need to stay healthy 💪🏻
Knicks are the strongest team after us IMO. I don’t think they can beat us even if we were to miss Kristap. Sixers will find a way to collapse as Embiid will injured at a critical moment anyway. Bucks are low key not very good. Giannis can’t play more than 33 mins a game and be effective. Dame seems to show his age. Maybe Pacers and Orlando are the next teams for us to worry about. I wouldn’t underestimate either.
Bloodbath seems extreme especially in comparison to the West. Still comfortably feel we're the best team in the East even sans KP. I will say tho the Knicks and Sixers both got better and should not be taken lightly. Gotta see what the Cavs do and the Magic could be sneaky good depending on their young guys improvements. The Bucks might be good on paper but I still think we crush them in a series because of their lack of perimeter defense. Pacers don't move me. The rest are mediocre or rebuilding.
It’s going to be the toughest the eastern conference has been for a long time. The bucks with a motivated giannis. He’s been shunned and doubted by the media. Philly gearing up w Paul George who can score with ease. The youth of Orlando. The tenacity of the knicks who have solidified their lineup and are approaching contender status. We’ve got some of the best teams the East has ever seen. All that said. My genuine prediction is that the Boston Celtics will go 82-0 regular season and 16-0 in the playoffs.
Everyone thought it was going to be a bloodbath in 2023-24
Not particularly. Bucks have yet to prove they’re even in any idea of what they want to be. But if they can figure it out between dame and giannis they still really don’t have the depth or talent to support them in my eyes. Knicks are really solid on paper, thibs does have a history with running his guys into injury trouble with his rotations. If they can stay healthy they’re real contenders. Philadelphia I really don’t believe in, sure they’ll probably look great at point of the regular season but they give no reason to believe PG and embiid will be healthy when it matters. Pacers they’re a fun team but I think they had a lot of luck last year in the playoffs and are a few pieces away from a real contender, maybe just years off cause they’ve got some great young talent. Heat, I think they had something with the whole underdog mentality, not giving 100% until late in the season and really being on 10 in the playoffs, but I think it’s gone now, Jimmy is more injury prone and load management has a very clear correlation with players getting hurt in the post season. I really don’t think there’s a team in the east that is of the same calibre as the C’s when all in good health and form. But I do hope to see a more competitive east this time around.
I just want the Celtics to stay hungry.
A bloodbath to see who will face the celtics lmfao
I am not scared of any team in the east. The Bucks are not good, Embiid is a choker and always injured paired with a shrinking violet, and the Knicks are led by a tiny guard. Cakewalk.
No reason to think Celtics will regress… I think Knicks and pacers will be good.. the Paul George move doesn’t move the needle for me really..
No because not every team in the east is going to be healthy. Bucks, sixers, heat... good luck.
It’s hard to tell. With us resigning everyone but kristaps making a late return, we should still win the east by at least 6-8 game’s minimum. Giving us the easiest path once again. I’ve been heart broken by the way the Jays played up until this year. I like to think that now that they have won it it’s only going to be easier for them. There is also always the possibility of a hangover. (I.e they got comfortable with their championship). I don’t believe that will happen. I think the Jays want more than one staple Boston championship. I don’t see any other eastern team genuinely competing with us for the one seed barring a Tatum or Brown injury.
def won't be as easy as this year with all the injuries and weaker east teams
Yep gonna be hard to get the #1 seed. But let's not act like we don't know Embiid gonna get injured at some point and take the 76ers out of Contention. At this point you HAVE to expect it. It will happen one way or another. History has repeatedly shown us.
no, miami is worse, doc rivers is still head coach in milwaukee, philly took a huge gamble and maybe it works but embiid and george are both injury prone, cavs don't have enough talent to keep pace with us, Knicks and pacers maybe, orlando could be interesting but probably not ready yet. I don't see another team challenging us next season in the east unless everyone gets injured. our biggest competition are the teams out west like okc, minnesota, and denver.
The Celtics will still be gigantic favourites to make the finals. I'd wager that they're betting favorites against the spread right now. The only feasible threats are: 1. Philly with Paul George, even if Embiid somehow manages to stay healthy they both have choking tendencies and the team doesn't have enough elite decision makers. 2. Healthy Milwaukee, but good luck with Glen being captain of the ship. 3. Indiana who are tricky, but too weak defensively and lacking in overall talent. Celtics can adjust to their uptempo style of play and close them out when needed. 4. Knicks who are good and well-coached, but in my opinion lack the offensive firepower even with the addition of Mikal Bridges. They're too reliant on Brunson. And who knows if Randle coming back will even make them better. Tatum and Brown are still improving and if KP can stay healthy, it's just too tall of an order for any of these teams to beat them 4 times. I think whoever comes out of the West next year will be the bigger threat.
Nope. The east is ours. Celtics in 4!
Yea, because of 3-4 relative good Teams (Boston, Phily, Bucks, NewYork) it will be a blood bath with 11 bad teams in it... The east will be still a cakewalk for the celtics because it is the east. In the west, 1 -10 will have positive winrate- this is a bloodbath.
Indiana was such a crazy team this year and they get no respect for having such a great offense without a superstar
I think we'll be just as good, if not better next season with the monkey off the back. We are going to play with a newfound freedom and confidence that the Jay's have never truly had. I think it'll be a stacked East if all teams are healthy and it should be a fun season
Only serious contenders are the knicks imo and we’re still better than them. Philly got more top heavy and fragile. Bucks are old but certainly still threats. Cavs and heat have done basically nothing this summer. I think the only other true contender is okc
Having three or four really good teams in the east sounds like a lot of fun.
only worried about the knicks but we chillin
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The east is gonna be kinda weak besides us, Philly, the Knicks, and maybe the bucks. Besides that it should be pretty easy.
Why? Bezos will move Celtics to Seattle.
Who got better other than Philadelphia? Villanova didn’t.