NBA Playoffs: Takeaways for the eliminated teams (Eastern Conference Edition)

Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets couldn’t close out the series after taking a 3-2 lead

Charlotte Hornets (Lost 4-3 to the Heat)

Of all the teams that have been eliminated in the first round, the Charlotte Hornets seems to have the most uncertain future. A lot of this could be attributed to the teams tumultuous history. They have been in and out of the playoffs ever since Michael Jordan took over the reigns of the team.

While it’s true that they had a decent run this regular season and took an injury-depleted Heat team to seven games. However, in an era of an ungodly number of superstar point guards, having Kemba Walker as your point guard isn’t simply going to cut it. Al Jefferson, too, has visibly slowed down. Much was expected from Michael-Kidd Gilchrist, however, a broken jump shot and a broken right shoulder have left much of the predictions attached to him up in the air.

The NBA is a superstar-driven league, and if you are to seriously contend for a championship, you need to have at least two superstar talents on your team. The Hornets, sadly, have none.

The NBA functions in a manner which disincentivizes merely ‘being decent’. Either you are an elite team, or you wait for the next Anthony Davis to fall in your lap through the draft. In that regard, the Hornets are the 2014-15 Phoenix Suns of the Eastern Conference. Neither here, nor there. Surely, Jordan will have some difficult decisions to make this summer.

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Boston Celtics (Lost 4-2 to the Hawks)

Boston Celtics were eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks after putting up a spirited fight

The NBA is better when the Celtics are good. The Boston Celtics have been one major bright spot in the Eastern Conference this season.

Composed almost entirely of promising but inexperienced talent, the Celtics, led by the best young Coach in Brad Stevens, seem to be the most credible threat to LeBron in the future. This would have true this season as well, had the Celtics not gone on an incredibly disappointing run of 115-180 run against the Hawks over the last two games. Nevertheless, this team will be much better next season, now having had the young stars being exposed to the bright lights of playoff basketball.

The reason why the Celtics are destined to be great is primarily because they hold an absurd amount of draft picks over the course of the next five years. Having got hold of the Nets’ lottery protected first round picks becomes all the more exciting as it could turn out to be LSU’s Ben Simmons or Duke's Brandon Ingram, touted as the two best players coming out this draft.

These picks could also be turned into a potential mega-trade involving Blake Griffin of the Clippers, who has been visibly upset in Lala land over the last two seasons. With so much potential talent in place and a rich history to boost, the Celtics could also be potential landing spots for Durant this summer and Westbrook the summer after that.

Even no such splash is made in the free agency, the Celtics have a young core of studs in the form of Marcus Smart and Isaiah Thomas, as well as a competent complementary cast of players who are willing to die for their general Stevens on the court. As I said, the possibilities are endless.