Behind Enemy Lines: The Boston Celtics

This article is from a CSN Washington perspective.



http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/behind-enemy-lines-boston-celtics



Behind enemy lines: Boston Celtics
August 9, 2014, 6:30 am





This is a series to look at how the Wizards stack up against their opponents in the East, where they finished 44-38 last season for a No. 5 playoff seed and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Today:

Boston Celtics

2013-14 finish: 25-57, 4th in Atlantic Division

Season series vs. Wizards: Wizards won 3-1 in the regular season.

Key losses: SG Jerryd Bayles, PF Kris Humphries

Key additions: PG Marcus Smart, SF James Young, SG Marcus Thornton, PF Tyler Zeller, SG Evan Turner.

Outlook: Nope, Larry Bird and Bill Russell aren't walking through the doors at TD Garden Arena, which likely means missing the playoffs for a second straight season. That said, the Celtics made good use of what assets they add for a rather productive offseason. Boston took advantage of a large trade exception and Cleveland's desire to part with salary for you know who and landed a vable big man (Zeller), an instant-offense scorer (Thornton) and a future first round pick. Danny Ainge drafted the point guard of the future (Smart) and a small forward oozing potential (Young) after landing two interior types (Kelly Olynyk, Jared Sullinger) in the first round last season. All of that gives coach Brad Stevens more to work with in entering this second NBA season, but not enough for a playoff push. That's true even with the return of Rajon Rondo from injury, though the Celtics best plan with the All-Star playmaker likely involves shipping him to a contender for long-term parts. Re-signing Avery Bradley for four-year, $28 million was a pricy reach, but he'll eventually form a smothering defensive tandem with Smart. Though it appears the roster lacks a signature player (unless Rondo stays and stars), the Celtics will eventually find their way back into contention. Only the defensive Boston fans will believe that time comes in the 2014-15 season.




bob
MY NOTE:  A "vable" big man in Tyler Zeller?  Is that a combination of "viable" and "valuable?  From our perspective I'd say both since we needed a legit center with some NBA experience. Vitor didn't play much last year and he's coming off of knee surgery, so he's still a ?

As far as us not making the playoffs that's probably a reasonable guess but I'll bet we're close, especially in the weak EC.  Chicago, Indy (who should still make the playoffs even without Lance and Paul, just not as a high seed), Miami (they lost LBJ but got Deng and Granger, so they're at least playoff material), Washington will move up with the additions of Pierce and Hump, Charlotte made the playoffs last year and should be a year better, Toronto is up and coming, Atlanta (Horford returning and they added Sefelosha) and Cleveland of course.  If Toronto falters or if Indy's drop is bigger than expected, then a good improvement by the Celtics could sneak us into the #8 slot.  It only took 38 wins to make the playoffs in the EC last year and we lost a lost of squeakers due to youth, poor execution and roster imbalance.  Danny has fixed some of those problems (he added Zeller and depth at 3 with Turner), time and experience has fixed some of them (Kelly will be MUCH more effective this year, more like his 2nd half and less like his 1st half) and so we could win some of those this year.  13 more wins is a lot without adding a major star, and I wouldn't bet on them, but it's not crazy (especially in the east where most of the playoff teams have weaknesses that could bite them in the butt over the season).



.

I hope this piece is right about the floor general skills of Marcus Smart.  I had precisely the same question about the word "vable."

Sam