Celtics pegged at third in league pass rankings
The NBA is filled with drama every season, and this season coming up may mark an all-time high. With superstars changing teams, rivalries intensifying, and social issues being dealt with, it is sometimes easy to forget that the NBA is actually for entertainment purposes.
At the root of all the dramatic stories, basketball is simply a game. We watch to be entertained by the game itself. ESPN's Zach Lowe knows this, and instead of making a list of the teams most equipped to succeed next season, he listed the teams with the most entertainment value for the audience. The list was created by using a formula that includes categories such as style, highlight potential, and team presentation, among others.
The Boston Celtics were ranked third on the list, and it's easy to see why. The C's were the first seed in the Eastern Conference last season, making it all the way to the Conference Finals. Then, Danny Ainge traded the first overall pick for the third, drafted Jayson Tatum, signed Gordon Hayward, and traded the franchise player for another one. Other stuff happened too, but neither I nor you, the reader, have the time to list it all out.
Boston is in the conversation for one of the most exciting teams in the NBA because of the revamped team composition alone. Add in the fact that both Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum, (potentially) are offensive studs, and the likelihood for highlight plays shoots through the roof. Even Gordon Hayward has been known to embarrass defenders and slam it down on occasion.
The storylines in Boston currently, Kyrie abandoning LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Isaiah Thomas throwing shade at the Celtics organization at every opportunity, and the criminal trial of Marcus Morris, also add to the pull of the Celts to NBA fans. I mentioned earlier that drama in the NBA is at an all-time high, but sometimes that drama fuels the entertainment value.
In addition to the ravenous offseason moves and the storylines in Boston, there are tons of rookies on the roster. Some of these rookies are from overseas, meaning that their skills are relatively unknown to fans in the United States. There are many questions about the talent level of players like Daniel Theis and Guerschon Yabusele, and if they can give the Celtics a spark off the bench, that just gives more reason for viewers to tune in.
Overall, this coming season is one of the most anticipated seasons in Celtics history. There is potential for an amazing team that clicks on offense, and receives energy from young guys off the bench. There is also a chance that Ainge made a huge mistake trading IT4, and it bites us in the ass. Regardless, there is a huge amount of anticipation to see how this Boston team can work it out in an attempt to overtake the Cavaliers and face the Warriors, (presumably) in the NBA Finals.
Photo: Matt West/bostonherald.com
At the root of all the dramatic stories, basketball is simply a game. We watch to be entertained by the game itself. ESPN's Zach Lowe knows this, and instead of making a list of the teams most equipped to succeed next season, he listed the teams with the most entertainment value for the audience. The list was created by using a formula that includes categories such as style, highlight potential, and team presentation, among others.
The Boston Celtics were ranked third on the list, and it's easy to see why. The C's were the first seed in the Eastern Conference last season, making it all the way to the Conference Finals. Then, Danny Ainge traded the first overall pick for the third, drafted Jayson Tatum, signed Gordon Hayward, and traded the franchise player for another one. Other stuff happened too, but neither I nor you, the reader, have the time to list it all out.
Boston is in the conversation for one of the most exciting teams in the NBA because of the revamped team composition alone. Add in the fact that both Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum, (potentially) are offensive studs, and the likelihood for highlight plays shoots through the roof. Even Gordon Hayward has been known to embarrass defenders and slam it down on occasion.
ICYMI: The 2017-18 League Pass Rankings Part I https://t.co/yeUotYmbXF And Part II: https://t.co/Uri6SbPp7o
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) October 4, 2017
The storylines in Boston currently, Kyrie abandoning LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Isaiah Thomas throwing shade at the Celtics organization at every opportunity, and the criminal trial of Marcus Morris, also add to the pull of the Celts to NBA fans. I mentioned earlier that drama in the NBA is at an all-time high, but sometimes that drama fuels the entertainment value.
In addition to the ravenous offseason moves and the storylines in Boston, there are tons of rookies on the roster. Some of these rookies are from overseas, meaning that their skills are relatively unknown to fans in the United States. There are many questions about the talent level of players like Daniel Theis and Guerschon Yabusele, and if they can give the Celtics a spark off the bench, that just gives more reason for viewers to tune in.
Overall, this coming season is one of the most anticipated seasons in Celtics history. There is potential for an amazing team that clicks on offense, and receives energy from young guys off the bench. There is also a chance that Ainge made a huge mistake trading IT4, and it bites us in the ass. Regardless, there is a huge amount of anticipation to see how this Boston team can work it out in an attempt to overtake the Cavaliers and face the Warriors, (presumably) in the NBA Finals.
Photo: Matt West/bostonherald.com