The Boston Celtics will take the league by storm next year, ultimately winning the franchise’s 18th banner during the 2020-2021 NBA season.
Assuming the regular season will not be finished this year, the Celtics had an impressive 43-21 record. With 18 games left to play, it is very likely that the Celtics would have eclipsed the pre-season line set for them which predicted they would win about 49.5 games via ESPN.
During the 2019-2020 NBA season, the Celtics proved that they could compete with the star-studded teams in Los Angeles as well as the Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee Bucks by having very competitive games with them, half of which they ended up winning.
One major concern coming into the season for the Celtics is their lack of a star big man to protect the paint against many of the great centers in the league. This concern has seemed to not be a problem, as Daniel Theis has stepped into the starting center role and performed great on both ends of the floor.
The Celtics may want to invest during the off-season in some depth at the center spot as Robert Williams and Enes Kanter have both had trouble on the defensive side of the ball.
It also would not be surprising to see Celtics GM Danny Ainge try to pick up three-point specialist Davis Bertans or fan favorite Isaiah Thomas for their 2021 playoff run.
The main improvement that the Celtics need to make to win the NBA finals next year is to allow for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to grow into their star roles by giving them the opportunity to shine.
The self-proclaimed “Fire and Ice” duo had both Brown and Tatum having the best years of their careers. This led to Tatum making his first all-star team while Brown just missed the cut. Brown and Tatum have the potential to become the next great two-way duo in the league over the next 15 years.
If the Celtics add a couple of bench pieces, allow for Brown and Tatum’s inevitable rise to stardom, and keep the same production from their other core guys like Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker, the Celtics are destined for a championship in the year 2021.
Photo Credit: CelticsWire / USA Today
