Boston Celtics: Best and worst-case scenarios for the 2021-22 season

Best-case scenario: A new “Big 3” is formed in Boston

Now I know reading that sounds kind of crazy. Everyone has heard all the jokes about Dennis Schroder’s wild contract situation, but in case you haven’t, I’ll quickly explain. During last season, the Lakers offered Schroder a four-year, $84 million contract, which Schroder rejected. Schroder decided to bet on himself, and it didn’t exactly work out. Instead, he signed a one-year, $5.9 million contract with the Celtics.

You may read that and think what a mistake that was on Schroder’s part, but there’s another way to look at it. At one point Schroder was valued at around $21 million per year. If Schroder manages to play like the player the Lakers thought he was, or the player he thought he could be, then Boston could end up with the league’s next “Big 3.”

There’s a chance Schroder could help fill the point guard void left by Kemba Walker. If that happens, and Brown and Tatum continue to improve, then the Celtics could have an even better season than last year. Of course, a lot of this depends on first-time head coach Ime Udoka, but if he has a trio of stars at his disposal then it will make his first season much easier to manage.