5. Boston Celtics
Last season: 49-33, 4th in Eastern Conference
Notable additions: Kemba Walker, Enes Kanter, Carsen Edwards, Grant Williams, Romeo Langford
Notable subtractions: Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Aron Baynes, Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris
The Boston Celtics got undeniably worse this summer, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they had a bad offseason. Losing Kyrie Irving was inevitable, and once that happened it always seemed likely that Al Horford would follow. It’s almost impossible to replace that kind of talent, but Boston did as well as anyone could have expected.
Kemba Walker may not be as good as Irving, but he’s still an All-NBA player that averaged more than 25 points per game last year and should fit nicely in Brad Stevens’ screen-heavy schemes. Horford is a uniquely valuable player and impossible to replace, but adding Enes Kanter on a cheap deal (two years, $10 million) and coming off his most well-rounded season is a smart move.
Aron Baynes, Terry Rozier, and Marcus Morris were all serviceable rotation players, so the Celtics will be hoping that rookies Romeo Langford, Carsen Edwards, and Grant Williams can contribute sooner rather than later. Langford looks like a long-term prospect, but Edwards should be ready as a spark-plug scorer off the bench from day one, and Williams is a high-IQ and highly skilled forward who should thrive playing under Stevens.
To keep themselves in contention, Boston will need continued progress from their highly-touted fleet of youngsters. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been equal parts acclaimed and maligned in recent seasons, but they both still have upside as they continue to develop. Tatum, in particular, has shown signs of being a go-to scorer and two-way player, but if the Celtics want to compete for the title this season they’ll need more consistent output from him on both ends.