NBA Offseason Wrap Up, Part 2: A Wild LeBron-less Eastern Conference

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 2: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics and Gordon Hayward #20 look on during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden on October 2, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

1. Boston Celtics

Key additions: Robert Williams (draft)

Key losses: Shane Larkin (FA), Greg Monroe (FA)

BRAD STEVENS’ TEAM WILL ENTER the 2018-19 season as the overall favourites to win the East. They deserve that title – they own the Conference’s best collection of talent, coaching, chemistry, and playoff experience. Coming off a season that saw the Boston Celtics push LeBron to seven games in the East Finals without their two best players, Boston will look to assume the new title of King of the East.

While they weren’t free agent additions, getting Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward back from injury will be a tremendous boost to the team.

The Celtics were 41-19 in games Kyrie played in last year while he slashed 24-4-5 on 49-41-89 %’s, serving as an MVP candidate until a knee injury in March cost him his season. Irving is without a weakness offensively while masquerading as the league’s best shot creator. His dynamic playmaking and finishing ability no doubt would have pushed Boston over the edge in last year’s Conference Finals.

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Kyrie has proven he can go toe-to-toe with anyone in a playoff series (see: the 2016 Finals) and plays his best on the biggest stage. Entering his age 26 season, the Duke product is healthy, in a contract year, and square in his prime. I am expecting big things. The best ball handler I’ve ever seen has a chance to add his name to the historic Bill Simmons Best Point Guard Alive championship belt if he can lead the Celtics to the Finals. I’d be shocked if Bill doesn’t touch on this at some point.

While I have no idea how effective (or healthy) Hayward will be coming off a freakish ankle injury, you can never have enough high IQ wings who are 6’8 with legit shooting, slashing, playmaking, and defensive ability in today’s NBA. Even at 90% of his pre-injury production, Hayward would fit beautifully in Stevens’ free-flowing scheme. His unselfishness complements the system well and he should see plenty more open looks than he did in Utah while feeling immensely less pressure to make plays. Serving in a more efficient role as a high-volume spot-up shooter and cutter should supplement his production if his athleticism and speed were to never fully come back.

Stevens will likely roll out an Irving-Brown-Hayward-Tatum-Horford starting five and unlock his version of position-less basketball. That combo counteracts Golden State’s strengths better than any other five a team could assemble league-wide. Four guys are 6’7 or taller and effectively guard at least four positions (in Horford’s case, five). Everyone can handle the ball, and all five guys are reliable 3-point shooters at worst. That lineup would be a top three offensive and defensive unit in the NBA and be deadly in crunch-time.

Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier, and Aron Baynes round out the core and serve as some of the league’s top backups at their positions. Rookie Robert Williams out of Texas A&M may not see much action right away, but he’s a shot blocking machine and could steal Baynes’ minutes as the year goes on.

Overall, the ’19 Celtics check all the boxes of a championship team. They’re elite on both ends, their coach is fantastic, and they’re ascending as a group – they have a real chance to have the best record in the league next year. With homecourt advantage in a potential Finals series with Golden State (who they matchup well with), the odds of a championship parade coming back to Beantown aren’t totally far-fetched.

(Did I mention the Celtics will receive the more favourable 2019 first round pick between Philadelphia and Sacramento? The Kings pick is top-one protected, so it’s likely Boston ends up with a selection somewhere 2-5 next summer. Celtics fans, you can add Vlade Divac to your Christmas basket list (76ers and Pelicans fans already have him on theirs). None of this would be possible without him getting ransacked by Philly in the first place. To sum up the state of Divac’s franchise: take all the great things happening in Boston, think of the exact opposite, and apply them directly to the Kings).

Celtics projected record: 62-20

Celtics chances of making the playoffs: 99%

Celtics chances of winning the East: 33%