Gordon Hayward
During the 2017 offseason, the Celtics signed Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $128 million contract. In his first game with the Celtics, he suffered a gruesome injury, breaking his tibia. He sat out the remainder of the season.
Last season in his return to action he was a shell of the player who was a Western Conference All-Star in the 2016-17 season. His points per game plummeted from 21.9 in 2016-17 to 11.5 last season along with a reduction of 8.6 minutes per game and reduction of his 3-point field goal percentage by 6.5 percent.
If he is able to return to form it would give the Celtics two All-Star caliber players between the newly acquired Kemba Walker and Hayward, along with two burgeoning superstars in Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum. Hayward’s health and return to his all-star level of play could dramatically affect the balance of power in the Eastern Conference where the Bucks and Sixers currently sit as the prohibitive favorites to move on to the NBA Finals.
Kyrie Irving
To say that Kyrie Irving was a hindrance to both team chemistry and success last season for the disappointing Celtics would be an understatement. The mercurial star has now landed with the Nets in free agency where he is poised to be the go-to player, at least until Kevin Durant returns next season from his Achilles injury.
The Nets last season had team chemistry and camaraderie normally seen in college teams. Their bench celebrations were commonly featured among their highlights and their young stars D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, and Spencer Dinwiddie seemed to revel in the positive atmosphere and culture the organization had built.
With Russell now in Golden State, Irving will supplant him the lineup. Will Irving be able to proliferate the positive culture in Brooklyn or act as the same hindrance to it that he was in Boston last season?
Steph Curry
Steve Kerr last week said that Stephen Curry was at his peak physically and emotionally. In watching the Warriors throughout the preseason it appears they will need every bit of Curry’s peak performance throughout the season to keep them in the playoff race until Klay Thompson returns.
Will Curry return to the dominance that won him back to back MVP awards and a 73-9 regular-season record in the 2015-16 season? If he does will it be enough for a Warriors team that has undergone wholesale changes to its roster in the off-season?