2018-19 NBA Season Preview: Boston Celtics

Team strengths

What set the Celtics apart from the rest of the teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year was the fact that every member of their starting lineup was capable of making game-altering plays on both ends of the court - and particularly in isolation. Aron Baynes, whenever on the floor, lifted their defensive profile significantly, and is a low-maintenance player on offense who can also *gasp* shoot open 3-pointers when given the chance.

The Celtics can play at various tempos, use different personnel in different situations and the presence of defensive specialists like Marcus Smart and Semi Ojeleye raises their ability to contain offensive powerhouses of other playoff teams.

The only marginal problem they face will be whether or not every one of their players will be satisfied with the touches they get. Integrating Kyrie and Hayward back into the scheme of things will be a sizeable task, but early-bird COTY contender Brad Stevens has enough of a track record at generating enough touches for everyone on the team that this is a headache of the milder variety.