Re-seeding the East: Boston Celtics have real competition after splashy NBA offseason

1. Boston Celtics

It should not be a surprise to see the Boston Celtics sitting as the projected No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They dominated the NBA last season and cruised their way toward winning the 2024 NBA Championship. Even without Kristaps Porzingis available to them at the start of the season, it's hard to envision them not being considered a strong favorite in the Eastern Conference. They are bringing everybody back and after what transpired during the Olympics, Jayson Tatum could be on a mission heading into this year.

The Celtics are going to be overwhelming favorites to repeat as champions and they're going to have a huge target on their backs. That said, the Celtics might be so good that it may not even matter. Already an established champion, it'll be interesting to see how they approach the regular season.

It wouldn't be all that surprising to see the Celtics take the regular season lightly and then round back into shape when the NBA Playoffs roll around.