After the first week of training camp, head coach Joe Mazzulla and the rest of the Boston Celtics headed to South Carolina and the Citadel Military School for a weekend of team bonding. While the Celtics went off the grid for the weekend, executives polled by The Ringer’s Zach Lowe gave them high praise. 

On Thursday’s episode of the ‘Zach Lowe Show’, Lowe discussed the Eastern Conference landscape behind the reigning NBA Finals Champion New York Knicks. Lowe polled 30 executives on who they would pick to come out of the Eastern Conference if they couldn't pick New York or the team they work for. “There was one team that was the overwhelming winner of the poll,” Lowe said. “It was Boston,” he continued. 

Lowe went on to explain that the executives he spoke with were highly confident in the Celtics' ability to finish the season as a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference, citing Mazzulla's regular-season success and a projected bounce-back season from guard Derrick White. 

It was a tumultuous offseason for Boston as they traded first-team All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for an underwhelming package of Paul George and two first-round draft selections. President Brad Stevens didn't stop there, though, as he went on to acquire a much-needed big man, signing center Mitchell Robinson to a three-year, $47.4-million contract. 

Still, though, a roster featuring Jayson Tatum, George, Robinson, and White is a far cry from the Tatum, Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday-led powerhouse that won the 2024 NBA Finals, so fans were rightfully down on the team's outlook heading into the season. The high praise from this group of executives should help quell some of those concerns.  

That said, there are still plenty of questions that remain surrounding the Celtics heading into the season. Can George stay healthy for the first time since 2023-24? Robinson has his own injury history, having played just 54 games over two seasons from 2023-2025. White struggled in an expanded role in 2025-26; can he actually bounce back like those executives are projecting?

After a weekend of team bonding in South Carolina, the Celtics will head to Cleveland on Thursday night for a preseason matchup with the Cavaliers. The matchup with the Cavs is the first of a four-game preseason slate that features a home-and-home with Brown and the 76ers. The Celtics will open their regular season slate on Oct. 20 as they head to Detroit to take on the Pistons. Tip-off from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse between the Celtics and Cavs is set for 7:00 p.m. ET. Thursday night.