The Boston Celtics were able to put together a great year in 2016. The organization was able to come across a tremendous amount of success and decided that they want to continue on the same path in 2017. Boston decided to work on their roster when they decided to draft Jayson Tatum. The rookie out of Duke is one of the most explosive players in his draft class and has already been displaying his abilities on the NBA summer league court. Along with the return of their star point guard Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics are looking forward to producing at a high level in order to recapture the first seed in the Eastern Conference.
With help from the free agency period, the Boston Celtics are trying to show the league why they deserve to be titled as one of the most feared teams in the NBA.
Looking for a championship
It was no secret last season that the Celtics were able to make ground in the Eastern Conference standings due to the fact that they had one of the most explosive scorers in the league on their roster. Isaiah Thomas almost single-handedly pushed the Celtics into the top tier of the Eastern Conference. His 28.9 points per game took the league by storm as he continued to expose the opposing defenses night after night. Avery Bradley was also able to contribute to the scoreboard as well. His 16 Points Per Game helped the Celtics control late games and enabled the ball club to slip away from victories that were almost too close to call.
As the league changes and offenses adapt, fans are starting to see the role of the small forward change. On most NBA rosters the small forward position is usually home to one of the best players on the team. The Celtics saw the need for a dominant small forward and they decided to make their move. With their first round pick in the 2017 NBA draft, the Celtics were able to pick up Jayson Tatum, a star small forward from Duke.
While attending Duke, Tatum was able to average 16.8 points per game while shooting 84% from the free throw line. With Al Horford already at the center position, the Celtics are looking better when it comes to having big men that are able to make plays. Hopefully, the 19-year-old rookie is able to handle his own around real NBA talent.
Building a championship
Gordon Hayward has been looking for a new home since the early off-season. Twitter despites between Isaiah Thomas, Hassan Whiteside and Rudy Gorbet have been the topic of conversation through late June and early July. After a couple weeks of deciding on a landing spot, Gordon decided to set up shop in Boston which seemed to be the closest team to winning an NBA Championship. Last season Hayward was able to average 21 points per game as the Jazz entered playoff contention as a true underdog competitor who had the ability to make some noise throughout the playoffs. Hayward is looking to bring a championship to Boston and with the added pieces around him, it looks like the Celtics are on the same page.
