Five bold predictions about the upcoming Celtics season



The NBA regular season is finally here. No more meaningless games, no more useless hype videos from summer workouts playing against construction workers on their lunch break. The start of the season that Boston fans have been waiting for is upon us. So without further ado, here are five bold predictions about the upcoming Celtics season.


Jaylen Brown will be second on the team in scoring
Gordon Hayward is coming back, Jayson Tatum is on the verge of super stardom, but Brown has the chance to eclipse both of them in the scoring column. With Hayward starting the season on a minutes restriction, and Tatum garnering more attention from opposing defenses after his break-out postseason, Brown will have opportunities to put the ball in the hoop. Whether it be cutting off of Al Horford post-ups or knocking down corner threes (39.5 percent from beyond the arc last season), Brown should get a number of far easier looks within the motion of the offense. Regardless of his standing within the depth chart, Brown might be the team's most aggressive attacker. Combine his ability to finish at the rim with his athleticism in the open court and Brown could be looking at yet another increase in his points per game.

Terry Rozier wins Sixth Man of the Year
Is Rozier the best backup guard in the league? He has proven that he can get it done as a starter on the biggest stage, but will he be able to carry that production over with a reduction in minutes? Rozier averaged 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists last season. If he can get up to 14/5/5 with good shooting splits, is that enough to win sixth man? Typically the award is given to the most potent reserve scorer, but Rozier can stuff the stat sheet, and if he can be the best backup guard in the league on one of the top teams, the voting committee will have to take notice.


The Celtics will lose less than 10 games at home
Role players play better at home, and Boston has arguably the deepest team in the league. The stars will do what they always do, but if the bench can contribute at a high level in the TD Garden, the C's will be a tough team to beat at home. I see this squad, barring any major injuries, going 34-8 in the comforts of Beantown.

Boston has a top-10 offense
It's easy to forget that, even before Kyrie Irving went down for the season, the Celtics were a below-average offensive team. The C's ranked 20th in points per game, 21st in field goal percentage, and 20th in assists per game last season. Having a healthy Hayward, improved Brown and Tatum, and a stacked bench should be able to make up for the lineups without Irving/Horford that caused so many problems last season. Brad Stevens will have his hands full figuring out how to get everyone enough playing time, but a lack of offensive output shouldn't be an issue.

The "BWA" will combine to lead the league in technical fouls
There isn't really a statistic for "group technical fouls", but I'm going to make it up. I mean, they call themselves the "Bench With Attitude," it kinda goes with the name, right? Marcus Morris is always good for AT LEAST a couple of skirmishes each year, Marcus Smart got his money this summer and is going to spend a large chunk of it paying off fines, and Rozier taunting opponents will collect a handful of techs himself. Aron Baynes' ability to irritate opposing bigs undoubtably will create a few dust-ups as well. The bench mob will be tough and, most likely, overly physical all season, so prepare for technical fouls to fall from the rafters when they get on the floor.

Comment your bold predictions for this season below!

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