With about three weeks to go until training camp begins, ESPN sees the Celtics in a more favorable light than we do.
On Wednesday, ESPN released it's "tiers" of NBA teams with about three weeks to go until training camp.
There were several tiers, including "the championship favorites," "the flawed West contenders," "Win machines," "high-upside," "the Southeast Goldilocks tier", "potential play-in participants," and "not competitive."
The Boston Celtics landed in the "win machine" tier, with ESPN saying that they should be around the 50-win or more pace in the regular season, but they ultimately have real questions about their postseason upside.
Essentially, the outlet thinks the Celtics have good players that will play hard in the regular season, and be able to take advantage of their schedule and benefit from when teams sit players for various reasons. ESPN also thinks that the Cleveland Cavaliers, who went to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, fit in that realm. And they also see the Detroit Pistons there too, and Detroit got the No. 1 seed in the East.
So, even if you're insulted by the "low playoff upside" thoughts, just be comforted that the Celtics are in good company.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts after a three point basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Eric Hartline-Imagn ImagesHow do we see the Celtics?
Unfortunately, I actually see the Celtics in a worse light than ESPN does. I've said repeatedly that I think Boston is ticketed for a No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, because I see the Knicks, 76ers, Cavs, Pistons and potentially Toronto Raptors as being better than them.
And of course, the Miami Heat, Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks are in the mix as well.
Last season, the No. 5 seed won 46 games, and given the overall depth of the Eastern Conference now, that seems too optimistic for these Celtics, at least to me. I think wins will be harder to come by given the newfound talent in the league.
Biggest questions for Boston?
Well, question No. 1 is obvious: How do the Celtics play and move forward without Jaylen Brown in the fold? With his trade to the 76ers, there's now a 28.7 ppg gap in the C's rotation. How does it get filled?
And by extension, is Jayson Tatum ready to take over as the unquestioned No. 1 option for the first time in his career? Both physically and mentally? All eyes will be on him moving forward.
When does training camp begin?
Celtics training camp begins on Sept. 29 and the preseason opener is Oct. 8. The regular season opener is set for Oct. 20.
