This team might even surprise Celtics fans

[DERRENMATTS]

After the initial shock of trading away Avery Bradley, Celtics fans have been warming up to the new look Celtics roster, and are more positive about it than at first.

But even the more optimistic Celtics fans haven't fully bought into this team yet. There's caution lurking in the back of our minds preventing us from telling anyone willing to listen to us that we are going to the Finals THIS year.

The most obvious reason is because we just don't know how the new guys will react and respond to being on this team -- we don't know how well, and how soon, this roster will gel and play like a cohesive unit.

We also don't know how much the young players are ready to contribute.

Well, it's time for us to think big and think optimistically. I believe this team is more likely to be in the Finals than not. And here's why:

- We have a legit 7 man rotation made up of proven NBA players. IT, Hayward, Smart, Crowder, Morris, Baynes and Horford. Essentially, this is a starting 5 + 2 key bench players. Each player has playoff experience, except for Marcus Morris, and there's little doubt that he can perform in the postseason. And this 7 man rotation has less holes, has more tough, gritty players, and more versatility than last year's 7.

- Most teams normally go 10 deep. We may go 11. Rozier, Jaylen, Jayson and Yabusele will see good amount of playing time, with Guerschon being the biggest surprise of them all. The Bear is ready to play. He's got the bulk to stand up Centers, the speed to outrun PF's, and his perimeter shooting is legit. He's going to have a Big Baby type effect, circa 2007-2008.

- This team will gel quickly. Everyone will find their roles. Everyone knows that IT and Hayward will be the 1a and 1b scoring options, with Morris and Crowder getting their share too. Horford is going to rack up the assists this year as he can pick and choose whom to pass to.

Baynes knows his role is to set picks and play rough on the inside.

This team is set to do damage.

[FLCeltsFan]

You are getting me even more excited that usual. I'm usually very optimistic about our team and I have been pretty excited about this team already but you make some great points. I think Zizic, Theis, and Semi may also surprise us.  Brad was very excited about Semi in summer league.  He said that Semi would be our best defender on the team right now.  Here's what Austin Ainge said about Semi

Semi's unique. He's 245 pounds and moves like a guard laterally. There are some 6'5'', 6'6'' guys that can move laterally but not too many of them are as strong as Semi. He's got a very unique skillset that allows him switch and guard 1 through 5 and is capable of making a 3-point shot as well.

And here's is  a bit about Daniel Theis, who was the defensive player of the year in the German league last year. 

Ainge: Daniel has been a prospect for a number of years now. He's a guy that has just slowly gotten better. He kept working on his game, kept improving. Now at age 25, he's ready to make the leap. He's won three German championships in a row and plays a lot at the 4 and 5. He can shoot 3s, he's athletic and he’s a national team player, so he's very experienced for a 25-year-old.
BSJ: Do you have an NBA player comparison for him for fans?
Ainge: I don't know a great comparison for him. He's equally comfortable rolling to the rim or popping and he can guard the 4 and the 5. He can switch some too. He's been wiry, strong and athletic.

I'm pretty excited about this team.  It's going to be a fun team to watch.  The best part about all the young players is that they are all hard workers and have a great work ethic and will all get better game by game. 

[Roadrunner]

I think BOS upgraded the roster. Fact - Zeller, Green, Young, Mickey are all still unsigned. Danny seems to be upgrading the roster on both ends, though most fans usually only pay attention to the topside, and not the bottom side.

[DERRENMATTS]

Jul 24, 2017 12:33:26 GMT -5 FLCeltsFan said:

You are getting me even more excited that usual. I'm usually very optimistic about our team and I have been pretty excited about this team already but you make some great points. I think Zizic, Theis, and Semi may also surprise us.  Brad was very excited about Semi in summer league.  He said that Semi would be our best defender on the team right now.  Here's what Austin Ainge said about Semi

Semi's unique. He's 245 pounds and moves like a guard laterally. There are some 6'5'', 6'6'' guys that can move laterally but not too many of them are as strong as Semi. He's got a very unique skillset that allows him switch and guard 1 through 5 and is capable of making a 3-point shot as well.

And here's is  a bit about Daniel Theis, who was the defensive player of the year in the German league last year. 

Ainge: Daniel has been a prospect for a number of years now. He's a guy that has just slowly gotten better. He kept working on his game, kept improving. Now at age 25, he's ready to make the leap. He's won three German championships in a row and plays a lot at the 4 and 5. He can shoot 3s, he's athletic and he’s a national team player, so he's very experienced for a 25-year-old.
BSJ: Do you have an NBA player comparison for him for fans?
Ainge: I don't know a great comparison for him. He's equally comfortable rolling to the rim or popping and he can guard the 4 and the 5. He can switch some too. He's been wiry, strong and athletic.

I'm pretty excited about this team.  It's going to be a fun team to watch.  The best part about all the young players is that they are all hard workers and have a great work ethic and will all get better game by game. 

I'm not expecting anything from Semi and Theis, which means ANYTHING they contribute will be a bonus.

If Brad can utilize Semi's versatility on defense, he may see time on the floor in certain matchups. And maybe Theis will fill a similar role to Jerebko's.

At the end of the year, we may be a legit 11 - 12 deep. Brad will be able to keep our starters' minutes down to, say 30 - 31 minutes per game.

[FLCeltsFan]

A lot of teams who are contenders have a talented starting lineup but when the starters sit, their benches are very weak. That was the Wizards' problem last season. The Celtics' depth, even last year was one of their strengths. I think it will be more so this season.

[DERRENMATTS]

Crossing fingers, but if the youths can contribute what they're capable of, we've got a darn versatile bench.

Yabusele, Ojeleye, Theis, Tatum, Jaylen, Smart and Rozier -- all of them can hit three's.

Yabusele, Tatum, Jaylen, Smart and Rozier can bring the ball up the court.

All of them can guard multiple positions.

I don't know how Brad is going to give playing time to find out who can, and who aren't ready yet, to play (and I'm not even including Zizic, Nader and Larkin).

[FLCeltsFan]

I can imagine that the beginning of the season we will see some experimenting with lineups until Brad can find the ones that work and until he can determine which rookies are ready for more playing time. We may lose a few at first due to this, but by the end of the season they will be a well oiled machine possibly 10-12 deep.

[DERRENMATTS]

Jul 25, 2017 11:57:20 GMT -5 FLCeltsFan said:

I can imagine that the beginning of the season we will see some experimenting with lineups until Brad can find the ones that work and until he can determine which rookies are ready for more playing time. We may lose a few at first due to this, but by the end of the season they will be a well oiled machine possibly 10-12 deep.

I'm kind of expecting that (a couple of months of lineup experimentation). Brad is a data/analytic man, so he needs to accumulate numbers and see results first, and then decide what is working and what's not.

It shouldn't discourage us if we play .500 ball early on. Once Brad gets a grip, though, we'll take off.

[Roadrunner]

Last year, BOS won the close games, because the offense flowed through IT in the 4th. I am expecting to more Gino time!