2019-20 NBA Season Predictions

2019-20 NBA Season

       
          Quite possibly one of the most power shifting and impactful Free Agency period in years. A lot of new faces in different places and it's going to make for a very interesting season, especially out west. A few changes in the East, one being Kyrie and Durant but he'll be out for the year so the Nets have to wait another year to be at full strength. Horford leaving Boston and heading to Philadelphia give the 76ers another big that can stretch the floor. Jimmy Butler to the Heat and Kemba swapping Free Agency destinations with Terry Rosier. But the landscape, balance of power and the competition out West has changed so much that I believe there are going to be a couple real talented teams that are outside the top 8. Believe it or not,(and remember, it's just my opinion but you heard it here first), there is going to be a team who's playoff streak of 22 years will be snapped. You can argue or debate if you want, which I'm sure you will because it is quite bold, but looking at the talent on the teams in the West, there are teams that were out that are pretty much guaranteed to be in. With all this said, you have to keep in-mind that these are based on players remaining healthy. 

EASTERN CONFERENCE

          To me, the East is by far the easiest to begin to predict. The way the talent is distributed, there are far more obvious teams that will succeed and make the playoffs than the West. Not too much shake up as Free Agency was concerned. A few big name players moved around but not nearly as active or impactful as the West. With the amount of games played in the NBA season, it's much harder to predict what will happen in a basketball season compared to the NFL season. As I said, Durant came east but he'll be out so Kyrie has to man the ship in his season long absence. Couple changes with Boston and Philly but no major overhaul. Jimmy Butler looks to give the Heat a bump but I honestly feel like this was a move for a couple reasons. First, games are played throughout the winter and having at least half your game where its warm all year was a factor. But most of all it was a money move. Other than a few moves, the East was relatively quiet compared to West.

EAST STANDINGS

Milwaukee Bucks - 61-21

Philadelphia 76ers - 53-29

Boston Celtics - 49-33

Indiana Pacers - 45-37

Brooklyn Nets - 43-39

Toronto Raptors - 43-39

Miami Heat - 42-40

Detroit Pistons -  41-41

Orlando Magic - 37-45

Charlotte Hornets - 35-47

Washington Wizards - 35-47

Atlanta Hawks - 33-49

New York Knicks - 23-59

Cleveland Cavaliers - 19-63

          Now on to the vaunted Western Conference. All I have to say is "WOW", there are a lot of talented teams in the West and it's far beyond what the East has to offer. Major additions to teams in the West like the Clipper, Lakers and Rockets. The West is going to be a very exciting and interesting and it's a shame that a couple of real talented teams that would be in the playoffs out East, won't have quite enough out West. I looked at last years standings and with the change to the Lakers and Clippers, two playoff teams from last season will be out and unfortunately it's the Spurs that may end their streak of 22 consecutive years in the playoffs. Call me crazy, I get it, but the Spurs were the 7 seed last year with a 48-34 record. Good for 5th in the East, I don't think that's going to be enough for the Spurs to get in this season.  Dallas gets Porzingis back and healthy so I can't see them at 14th this year. Improvements to teams has a team like Denver, who was the 2 seed, drop down to 5. Going to be a fun year in the West and it's going to be the talk of the NBA season all year. 

WESTERN STANDINGS

Los Angeles Clippers - 60-22

Houston Rockets - 58-24

Los Angeles Lakers - 55-27

Portland Trail Blazers - 52-30

Denver Nuggets - 50-32

Golden State Warriors - 50-32

Utah Jazz - 49-33

Oklahoma City Thunder - 44-38

San Antonio Spurs - 44-38

Dallas Mavericks - 42-40

New Orleans Pelicans - 39-43

Minnesota Timberwolves - 37-45

Sacramento Kings - 36-46

Memphis Grizzlies - 30-52

Phoenix Suns - 29-53

 I have Milwaukee and Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Finals

 I have a dream scenario of LA in the Western Conference Finals with both the Clipper and the Lakers fighting for a Finals birth.

As far as who wins, I have no idea and each of the 4 teams there have a chance and their reasons why they should win. The Bucks have the reigning MVP who now have a year like last under his belt and can learn from mistakes. Philadelphia is incredibly large and is going to give smaller teams fits, IF THEY CAN SCORE OUTSIDE. If healthy, their starting lineup has 4 player 6'9" or taller. We'll see if it works out or if it will backfire against smaller quicker teams.

Out West, it is a shootout but with the seeding as I have it, the Lakers would take out the Rockets before the Conference Finals. LeBron is on a mission and now has a top 5 weapon to ball with. The only thing that could hurt the Lakers, its depth and expectations. With the Clippers, they get 2 perennial MVP vote receivers and Leonard just came off a surprising NBA Finals Championship with less players than Paul George. How quick can these two figure it out? Also remember, Dock Rivers had the Boston Celtics playing some incredible defense and now he gets a former DPOTY recipient in Leonard and George who has been in the conversation many times. Defense win championships and Doc with these guys will be impressive.

 

2019-2020 NFL Predictions

AFC EAST                      NFC EAST
 New England Patriots (11-5)                 Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
 New York Jets (8-8)                               Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
 Miami Dolphins (7-9)                             Washington Redskins (6-10)
 Buffalo Bills (6-10)                                New York Giants (4-12)
  
AFC NORTH                  NFC NORTH
 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)                      Chicago Bears (10-6)                   
 Cleveland Browns (9-7)                          Green Bay Packers (10-6)
 Baltimore Ravens (8-8)                          Minnesota Vikings (9-7)
 Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)                       Detroit Lions (8-8)

AFC SOUTH                   NFC SOUTH
 Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)                    New Orleans Saints (12-4)
 Houston Texans (10-6)                           Carolina Panthers (9-7)
 Tennessee Titans (9-7)                           Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
  Indianapolis Colts (6-10)                      Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)

AFC WEST                      NFC WEST   
 Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)                  Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
 Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)                       Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
 Denver Broncos (8-8)                             San Francisco 49ers (7-9)
 Oakland Raiders (4-12)                          Arizona Cardinals (5-11)


 AFC PLAYOFFS

                      1Chargers
  4Jaguars
     5Chiefs            Chiefs        Chiefs 
                                                                  Patriots
     3Steelers
   6Browns            Steelers      Patriots

                     
                        2Patriots
 

 NFC PLAYOFFS

                        1Saints
     4Bears
  5Packers          Bears         Saints
                                                                  Saints WIN SUPER BOWL
    3Eagles
 6Cowboys         Eagles       Eagles


                          2Rams

A Look at the 2019 Patriots

  
 Looking forward to the 2019-20 season, the reigning Super Bowl Champions have some major holes to fill. Most importantly, the massive loss of TE Rob Gronkowski and DE Trey Flowers. The All-World TE decided to hang em' up and go out as a champion. Trey Flowers, New Englands best pass rusher and monster of a man Trent Brown departed via free agency. Flowers join ex-defensive coordinator Matt Patricia in Detroit and Brown headed west to sign a massive contract with the Raiders. Other departures include, Wide Receivers Chris Hogan and Cordarrelle Patterson, Tackle LaAdrian Waddle, Defensive Tackle Malcolm Brown and Cornerback Eric Rowe. 

    Patriot fans as well as NFL analyst thought for sure that Bill Belichick would have addressed the loos of Gronk during the NFL draft. The picks and rounds came and went without a TE being selceted. So for now, the void will have to be filled by former Patriot Benjamin Watson and unknown Matt LaCosse. Obviously it's impossible to replace a player like Gronk and his production in the passing game and his blocking ability. I fully expect a decline from the TE position with and aging Watson and the unknown LaCosse. Patriot fans are still holding hope that Gronk will decide to come out of retirement either before the season starts or shortly after.

     
    The next position that causes for concern in wide receiver. Brady has done some amazing things without "star" receivers but going in to this season the talent is spread thin and the repor just won't be there. As of now, Brady only has 2 receivers he's familiar with to throw to. There could be a third option but that option is Josh Gordon and it's not clear if or when he'll rejoin the team. Julian Edelman recently signed a 2 year extension, but other than him, many questions loom around this receiving core. With an uncharacteristic move, Belichick drafted WR N'Keal Harry, Wide Receiver from Arizona State with the #32 pick. Early reports say he's showing promise already but hopefully the rookie is ready to come in and make an instant impact. The team decided to place an original round Restricted Free Agent tender on WR Josh Gordon. However, Gordon's return to the team will be determined on his suspension, which the length is currently unknown. Phillip Dorsett resigned, and they added former Bronco and Texan Demaryius Thomas who is coming off injury. With Gronk gone, Brady is going to have to put a lot of trust in some very unfamiliar guys. A big plus is Josh McDaniels stayed as offensive coordinator.

    
  Other than the loss of Trey Flowers, the defensive side of the ball remains relatively the same. The did lose defensive play caller Brian Flores to Miami but the defense in largely Bill's defense anyways. Most of the big name guys are back including, Gilmore and the McCourty twins. They traded for Michael Bennett in the of-season and he should give the pass rush a boost. Bill also decided to take another chance on former linebacker Jamie Collins. I'm sure Bill is hoping Jamie can "Stick to the script" and not freelance on plays which is why he was shipped off to Cleveland. Some holes left by departing players were filled during the draft. Cornerback JoeJuan Williams was drafted early in the 2nd round. It appears that the Patriots have certain situations for Williams with his 6'3" 2018lb frame. Perhaps match-ups against players like Travis Kelce are in the future. Quite possibly the sexiest pick is DL/LB Chace Winovich out of Michigan. Winovich is the player I think will have the most immediate impact on the team as a rookie. His presence is needed in the positions that were opened up by losses. Going into the season, the defense looks better than it has in the past couple of seasons. 

    Obviously there isn't much to worry about when #12 is still behind center and Bill is at the helms. The does have quality on the offensive line and Dante Scharnechia works wonders with new players. James White will still be there to help in the passing game and Sony Michele will man the running game. Even though Sony had a great rookie season, the team opted to draft RB Damien Harris out of Alabama to lighten the load on Michele. I do believe Harris was a great addition at the position in the draft they got him. Alabama running backs always seem to come into the league NFL ready. The Patriots should still win their division even with the improvements of the other divisional teams. They can quite possibly make it to their 10th straight AFC Championship game but as far as making it to the Super Bowl and taking #7 back to New England, we'll just have to wait and see if this team has what it takes. We all know it's extremely hard to just make it to one Super Bowl, never mind the opportunity to make it to four straight and winning their 4th title in 6 years.

The Laser Show Has Come to an End

      With a nagging left knee injury, it appears Dustin "Laser Show" Pedroia may have played his last game for the Boston Red Sox. The highly popular and hugely productive second baseman has been dealing with an knee injury for a couple of seasons now. After and excellent 2016 season for Dustin, the Red Sox endured a quick 3 game sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Indians. Following the early playoff exit, Pedroia had surgery on the left knee in mid-October. At the time, Dustin and the organization had no idea about the troubles yet to come.

     Dustin was available to start the 2017 season but soon found himself on the 10-Day DL as of May 30th with a wrist sprain. Pedroia soon returned to the lineup which only lasted 2 months. On August 1st, he hit the 10-Day DL once again. This time it was soreness in the left knee which had surgery in the off season. Eleven days later, the Red Sox would announce Dustin would finish the season on the DL due to continued soreness in the knee. On October 25th, it was revealed that Dustin underwent surgery for a complete cartilage restoration and would miss the start of the 2018 season.

Photo Courtesy of bosoxinjection.com

     Pedroia started rehab with Triple A affiliate Pawtucket on May 14th and then was added to Boston's active roster on May 26th. After just 3 games, Dustin was back on the DL with inflammation to the left knee. After not much improvement, it was announced on August 4th, that Dustin would be put on the 60-Day DL. Shortly after in early September, news came across that Pedroia would in fact be out for the remainder of the season. As we know, later that season the Red Sox went on to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Because Dustin was not part of the active roster, he does not receive an credit for the title. To begin the 2019 season, Dustin made his way up from Class A Greenville team to being active for the teams home opener on April 9th. He appeared in 6 games and unfortunately returned to the IL with left knee irritation. Once again, rehabbing with Double A team in Portland and then Triple A Pawtucket, Pedroia announced that he will be taking some time to evaluate his health and his future in baseball. That same day, he was moved to the 60-Day IL.

   If this has been the last we've seen of the 4 time all-star and 4 time Gold Glove winner, I'd have to say it's been an absolutely wonderful career. The 5'9" second baseman played the game with so much heart, hustle and grit that he'll be remembered for decades to come. Drafted in 2004 with the 65th overall pick out of Arizona State as a shortstop, Dustin has numerous accolades and awards. Making his debut in August 2006, Pedroia was named Rookie of the Year in 2007. The following 2008 season, Dustin took home AL MVP honors as well as the Silver Slugger award. At the time, he became on 1 of 3 players to have been named Rookie of the Year and followed it up with an MVP award. The 2 time World Series Champion will finish with some impressive stats in his 14 year career. 

     So if this is it for Dustin, as a fan, I thank you for leaving it all out on the field every game and playing the game of baseball the way it's supposed to be played. Although he may be done as a player, Pedroia has the knowledge and turn his playing career into a coaching career. Don't be surprised to see Dustin "Laser Show" "Peddy" Pedroia in a uniform, but this time hopefully managing a team to victories and titles. Thank You Dustin and good luck you in your future endeavors.

Career Stats
.299 Batting Average                 4x All-Star (08,08,10,13)
1,805 Hits                                    4x Gold Glove (08,11,13,14)
140 Home Runs                          Heart and Hustle Award 2013
725 Runs Batted In                    AL Rookie of the Year 2007
130 Stolen Bases                         AL MVP 2008
625 Walks                                    2x World Series Champion (07,13)
.805 OPS                                      Defensive Player of the Year (13,16)
Only 58 errors in 1498 games   6,031 AB with only 654 Strikeouts
Never struck out more than 85 times in a season.

Bruins Advance to the Finals

Photo courtesy of www.sportslogos.net

          With a convincing sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, the Boston Bruins are heading back to the Stanley Cups Finals. This will be the third finals in the past 9 years. The Bruins earned the #3 position in the Playoffs and after first round losses from Tampa Bay and Washington, the Bruins had home ice advantage throughout the remainder of the Playoffs. The Bruins finished the regular season 49-24-9. They had an incredible run starting on January 29th,where the team didn't have a regular time loss spanning 19 games ending on March 10th. In the month of February, the Bruins were 11-0-2. They had numerous winning streaks starting with 4 wins after losing the opener. They had two, 4 games streaks, one, 5 game streak and two, 6 game streaks. They have now entered the finals on a 7 game winning streak.

Photo courtesy of www.stanleycupofchowder.com

        

      It's clear who the backbone of the success for the team is. Even though Rask played his fewest regular season game since being named as a started, he's the clear reason the Bruins have a chance at yet another Stanley Cup. He did have some struggles during the season, but that all has been forgotten with his absolute stellar play in these playoffs. Rask is 12-5 with a 1.96 GAA and a SV% of .939 during his 17 playoff starts. Toronto was by far their toughest challenge forcing Rask and the Bruins to a game 7. During the series, Tuukka faced 223 shots and he saved 207 of them. The second round, the Bruins faced off against the Columbus Blue Jackets with that series going to a game 6. Columbus, had just come off a sweep of the 2019 NHL Presidents' Trophy winners, Tampa Bay Lightning. Against Columbus, Rask faced 212 shots and turned away 201 of them. In the conference finals verse Carolina, a team that beat out the #2 seed Washington, and then swept the New York Islanders. Rask has his best series having 114 shots come his way and saved 109 of them. To this point in the playoffs, he's faced a total of 549 shots against, saving 517 of them. The most amazing stat is, in the 3 series clinching games, Rask had 1 goal scored against him with two shutouts. Tuukka Rask has been "standing on his head" during the playoffs so far and he's the main reason the Boston Bruins are in position to win another cup. He's playing at the top of his game and seems very cool, calm and collected in the net.  

Photo courtesy of www.nesn.com

          The credit doesn't fall solely on Tukka Rask for the success of this team. The team has had just about everyone step up their play in these playoffs. The first line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak were absolutely dominant. So far in these first 3 rounds of playoffs, these 3 players have combined for 22 goals and 24 assist. These are the type of stats that you need from a top line to go this deep in the playoffs. In the deciding game four against Carolina, the three of them accounted for all 4 goals. These three, along with David Krejci, have lead this teams power play to some wonderful numbers as well. Especially in this past series verse Carolina. 

          The contribution doesn't stop there with the top line. David Krejci, who would be a top center if it weren't for Bergeron, has had a wonderful playoffs as well. With Krejci heading up the second line, he's amassed 4 goals but has been quite the helper with 10 assist. David hasn't been the only player on the lower lines that has come through big. Charlie Coyle, who the Bruins traded Ryan Donato to Minnesota for has turned out to be a major acquisition. The former BU Terrier and Weymouth, Massachusetts native, has come up big with some timely goals. To this point, he has 5 goals and 7 assist. Another addition, Marcus Johansson, who was a trade deadline addition came over from New Jersey and has been productive as well. Johansson has accumulated 3 goals and 6 assist in these playoffs. This is the perfect kind of contribution you'd want from two guys you gave up valuable assets for. Many other players have shown their value through these playoffs, in particular the fourth line that has been gritty and have come up with goals in some big situations. 

Photo Courtesy of  www.nesn.com

Photo courtey of www.nesn.com

     
          Defensively, this team is set up perfectly for the style of hockey Bruce Cassidy wants to play. Other than the ageless wonder, Zedeno Chara, the defense is youthful and skilled. The skating and the ability of these young defensemen to carry the puck into the zone has been the difference between these Bruins and the three opponents they've faced. They have had to overcome some injuries but that next player is always ready to step up. Not only are they physical, they are able to put points on the board. In these playoffs, the 7 total defensemen have scored a total of 8 goals and have assisted on 26 goals. Chara wears the captains "C" on his chest and it's rightfully so, but Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelyck have been the major threats as offensive defensemen. Out of the 26 assist, these three players accounted for 20 of them. Incredible offensive production from the guys that are paid to stop opposing teams from scoring. 

        This team is a perfect example of slow and steady wins the race. It has been an incredible season for a team that lacks what the league would look at as a "superstar". But hockey is the ultimate team sport and they continue to prove that 1 player doesn't make or break the team. Although some would argue that without Tuukka Rask, they wouldn't be in this position but it's still a collective effort to advance this far in any playoffs. Back up goalie, Jaroslav Halak came up big in situations this season when Rask wasn't playing his best or was injured. All is good right now with the Bruins, and even though I would say they aren't as talented as the 2011 and the 2013 teams, this team is extremely deep, has superb power play and a goalie playing like the best goalie in the league. This team has a great chance to raise Lord Stanley's Cup come June. So now we wait in anticipation to see in the Bruins will face St. Louis or San Jose in the Finals. Both of those teams need to proceed with caution because this Bruins team is on fire and they need to "Fear the Bear". 

Where do the Celtics Go From Here?

Photo courtesy of www.bostonsportsjournal.com

          With a 116-91 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in game 5 of the 2018/2019 NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics begin their off season. Throughout the season, talks of Kyrie Irving's decision of staying with the team or leaving for Free Agency has dominated headlines. After earning the #2 seed in the 2017-18 playoffs, the Celtics made it to the Conference Finals facing off against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  After taking a 2-0 series lead, the series ended up in Boston for a decisive game seven which we all know the results of that. With the Celtics advancing that far, albeit, with the absence of Kyrie and Gordon Hayward, expectations for the 2018-2019 team were extremely high. They were picked to be the top seed in the East and represent the East in the NBA Finals. Now that the season has come and gone, disappointment is the best way to describe this season. 

Photo courtesy of nypost.com

          Kyrie returned after having surgery on an infection in his left knee that stemmed from a previous injury he had in 2015 and Gordon Hayward was finally able to play after missing the entire 2017-18 season with a horrific ankle injury just 5 minutes into the season. Brad Stevens finally had the team in which him and Danny Ainge put together the previous summer. Jaylen Brown going into his third season and Jason Tatum into his 2nd, were thought to have made huge gains in their game and were to be massive contributors. Marcus Smart signed a new 4 year deal in the off season giving the Celtics back their defensive spark plug. With Big Al, Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier still under contract, the Celtics had a similar roster starting out this season. 

          With the season now over, the Celtics have lots of work to do. When July 1st hits, Boston will have just 6 player under contract for the 2019-20 season. Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Jason Tatum,Robert Williams, Marcus Smart and Guershon Yabusele are the main guys still on the roster. The work starts here with Kyrie Irving. The Celtics star PG has a player option of $21,329,752 for the 2019-20 season and talks of what his decision will be have been prevalent all season long. Many suggest that a reunion could happen and Kyrie will decide to team up once again with Lebron James and join the Los Angeles Lakers. Some say the Knicks would be a good fit but that only comes if Kevin Durant wants to leave Golden State and join Irving in New York. Others also think that Irving will head to New York, but for the up and coming Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics were unable to make trade offers for Anthony Davis and can't do so until July 1st when the new calendar league starts. Could the addition of Davis be enough to keep Irving in the green and white? Not many predict that he will decide to opt in to his final year on his contract and stay with Boston. I am one of those, and honestly, I would much prefer to see him go. He came to Boston to "have his own team" and it's just not working out. His style does not fit the coach and his individuality has seemingly torn this team apart. All season when Kyrie struggled, fans were assured that "Playoff Kyrie" would come out when the games matter. The team struggling to win a series against a far less talented Indiana Pacers team playing without their best player and quickly getting knocked out, destroyed, demolished by the Buck's. Fans are sitting here in frustration wondering where "Playoff Kyrie" was. Throughout his time with Boston, Irving has seemed disengaged while the rest of his teammates have struggled to adhere to his style. I'll say it now, good riddance Kyrie and hopefully your next team understands what they are getting themselves into when they decide to throw huge amounts of money at you. Everything sounded great when he first came here but we quickly learned that Kyrie does his own thing and it only destructs a team that wants to play with a team mentality. 

          Kyrie isn't the only player with the possibility of moving on. Al Horford has a player option of $30,123,015 and with that kind of money available and his age coming into to factor, I highly doubt "Big Al" will decline his option. He knows at this point in his career, he's not going to see another big contract come his way. Al has always been a great fit with this team. He'll never WOW you with his numbers but his consistency and team play make Al a valuable asset to this team. Another player with a player option for next season is Aron Baynes. The feisty Aussie could choose to resign for $5,453,280 and this could go either way. With a less than productive season, I'm sure the Celtics would rather Aron decline and move on. I see Aron opting in knowing any interest he'd receive from other teams wouldn't warrant him anything more than the $5+ million he'll snatch from Boston. 

         My biggest concern is what will the Celtics and Danny Ainge will do with Terry Rozier. Terry's Free Agency status is restricted, so the Celtics would have to match any offer he would receive from other teams. The initial qualifying offer for Terry is $4,285,798. If this all came a season prior, Terry would be looking at a much larger offer from teams. His mediocre season rolled right into the Playoffs where "Scary Terry" became a ghost. Rozier went from averaging 16.5PPG with a field goal percentage of .406 in the 2018 playoffs to a dismal 6.4PPG and a .322 field goal percentage these past playoffs. It could have just been a case of not having the starting role with a healthy Irving but his regular season statistics were down as well. This put the Celtics in a very "Scary" situation. Without much being said about what Terry is looking for in his next contract, the possibilities are present where the Celtics could lose two PG and have to start over. Daniel Theis also has a restricted Free Agency situation and along with Baynes, he was less than productive as well. The opportunity is there to also lose both Baynes and Theis. They could be looking to fill the 5 position along with the PG. Unfortunately, Boston has already agreed to terms with Guershon Yabusele, which I believe to be a waste of money and roster spot. Minimal playing time for a player that to me, is too small for the Center or Power Forward position and too big and nonathletic for the Small Forward position. Marcus Morris is the only Unrestricted Free Agent the team has. Although he shows signs of being able to play, he takes far too many out of rhythm bad shots and the Celtics can do without that. Much too often he tried to take a big shot during a crucial moment in the game just to miss and keep momentum with the opposing team. I'd much rather have a player that can shoot consistently and within the flow of the game for over $5million a year. 

          With the players left on the team, the amount of potential should be a good starting point for next season. However, I do have my reserves with what Brad can get out of these guys. First, what is up with Gordon Hayward? Is he healthy? Not Healthy? I understand that it's a tough injury to return from right away but are the pressures of playing for such a high caliber team too much for him to handle? Or was Kyrie's ball dominant style just too much for anyone on this team to gel cohesively? With a full year in after the injury, I am in hopes that Hayward can return to the excellent player he was for the Utah Jazz. Next, and I've said this to friends time after time, has Jason Tatum already maxed out his full potential? The young Duke forward blasted in to the league with a purpose ending last season with a few consideration for the "ROTY" award. He had the league on notice and everyone wanted to see him blossom into a superstar. It is still early in his career to start believing he's just not that good, but he took major steps backwards this past season. Could it be the classic case of Sophomore slump? Let's hope so we can see the young man return for his 3rd season looking to improve on his game. Lastly, it's Jaylen Brown's inconsistencies, mostly on the offensive side of the ball. He's great defensively but lacks the ability to be a major threat night in and night out on offense. A big improvement to Jaylen's game has been his jump shooting, especially the 3 ball. For Jason and Jaylen, their young, athletic and they have time to improve. I truly believe, and it's been said before, The Celtics have too many players that play the same position. 

          So now the question of Anthony Davis comes in to play. Do the Celtics dump all their young talent and numerous picks for a 1 year shot at Anthony Davis? Is it really worth it to have to start all over again after next season? As much as I love Davis, who is a top 5 player and a amazing superstar, I don't think he's worth all that we've have to sacrifice to New Orleans for what would be a 1 year rental. Ultimately what I would like to see, let Kyrie walk if he wants to and attempt to resign Terry Rozier. Perhaps if he can get to a starting role, he can return to the "Scary Terry" that we got to know so well last season. 

If they decide to not match the offer and let him go, I'd love to see Danny go hard for Kemba Walker. A good young player who is massively undervalued in Charlotte. Once they've filled the PG position, the Celtics would then have to address the lack of a true "Bigman". A player that can rebound on both ends and clog up the paint and swat some balls away. This past season, I seen too many drives to the basket go uncontested.  It could be the style of defense they play, but I would love to see them return to the days of KG and Perk where there was no such thing as easy layups. Obviously KG isn't walking through that door, but there are player available that would suffice in the attempt to challenge drive more often. The Celtics do have their 27th pick from last season, Robert Williams. He didn't play much but there were so many reports of him playing so well last season that I wish I had seen more of him. He was injured a bit, but the best way for a player to progress is to actually get on the court and play. 

          It's going to be a busy off season for Danny Ainge with what I see as many needs to be filled. The Celtics could end up with as many as 4 first round picks. The question is, what will Ainge do with those picks? With the Draft lottery tonight, Tuesday, May 14th and the NBA draft on June 20th, answers will soon come and we'll see what our beloved Boston Celtics look like heading into the 2019-20 season. As Boston fans, we demand contending teams every season. Not always fulfilled, the current state of the team is still a playoff team and may be just a good player or 2 away from getting back to the NBA Finals.