By
Andrew Brand on Wednesday, September 17
th 2014
Boston Celtics
Atlantic Division
Last season's record: 25-57
Roster additions and losses
A nifty little trade pulled off by general manager Danny Ainge saw the Celtics aquire Tyler Zeller and Marcus Thornton for the Celtics trade exemption that they acquired from the Brooklyn Nets. While neither player is a true difference maker, both will likely see significant minutes for the Celtics in the coming season.
The biggest acquisitions for the Celtics came through the NBA Entry Draft where the C’s got Marcus Smart and James Young. Both of these young players will get a huge opportunity in Boston as they are still in rebuild mode and must see what their young players can bring to the team. Smart is already getting rave reviews for his defensive capabilities and many are touting him as the next greatest lock-down perimeter defender in the league.
Keys to Success
Head coach Brad Stevens definitely has his work cut out for him yet again as the current Celtics roster is very young and relatively inexperienced. There is no question about who the catalyst on this team is and that is of course Rajon Rondo; but the question is how long will Rondo be on the roster for.
Rondo is a premier point guard in the league who has already shown that he has recovered nicely from his devastating injury. Rondo must be the guy for Boston and he will need a supporting cast comprised of Jeff Green and Avery Bradley must be impactful guys. It is unlikely that the Celtics can keep Rondo past this season and one can bet that Ainge will be looking to reap as much in return as he can for his team MVP.
A huge key to success will be how coach Stevens juggles his roster. There are quite simply too many players playing the same backcourt and small forward positions on the roster. A balance must be established that allows the best chance of team success and yet still allows for an assessment of talent in lieu of a Rondo trade.
Fantasy Roster Impact
Once again, it is Rajon Rondo who leads the pack here and he is leading that pack by a huge margin. Of less fantasy relevance there is Jeff Green who is good for the occasional explosive game, however; he doesn’t contribute in terms of rebounds or assists. An interesting fantasy option and one that could be had on the cheap is Evan Turner. Turner gets a completely fresh start in Boston and he figures to be hungry to prove his worth on the one-year deal that he will be playing out. Turner could very well see the freedom and flexibility in the offence that he saw in Philadelphia which would translate into some decent numbers for the 25-year old small forward.
2014 Season Prediction
There is no chance that the Celtics make the playoffs here. Even in the weaker Eastern Conference; the Celtics are going to be flat out bad yet again. They will surpass their win total of last year as 30 wins on the year is probably attainable. I definitely see Rondo getting moved before season’s end as the offers for his services will be coming in once he is officially advertised as being available.