NBA: 4 storylines to keep an eye on during opening night

NBA storylines to watch: How much will the absences of head coach Ime Udoka and Robert Williams impact the Boston Celtics?

The defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics are widely expected to be one of the top contenders in the conference once again. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are trending up as individual players and this is a team that reloaded during the offseason with the acquisition of Malcolm Brogdon.

On paper, the Celtics look good. And they probably should be the early favorite to come out of the East. However, there are other issues that could prevent the Celtics from accomplishing what many expect them to do this season.

It starts with the injuries that they’ll have to overcome at the start of the season (Boston lost Danilo Gallinari for the season and Robert Williams is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season). But it also extends to having to integrate another head coach as Ime Udoka was suspended for the year.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Celtics struggled out of the gate to start the year.