Apr 21, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives against Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk (41) in the fourth quarter in game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Boston Celtics
Say Hello to: David Lee, Amir Johnson, Perry Jones, Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter, Jordan Mickey, Marcus Thornton
Farewell: Brandon Bass, Luigi Datome
’14-’15 record: 40-42
The league’s best young coach, the seemingly unflappable Brad Stevens, leads the legendary Celtics. They ducked into the playoffs late last year, and were promptly dispatched by Atlanta, but the experience gained was surely valuable for this youthful group. Picking up Amir and Lee while giving up practically nothing was great work by GM Danny Ainge.
This squad’s depth rivals the Raptors, so they don’t need their rookies to perform miracles. Avery Bradley is a terrfic player. They overpaid Jae Crowder, but he’s a useful man. If Marcus Smart or Kelly Olynyk make a leap, and they receive normal improvement from Jared Sullinger and the underrated Tyler Zeller, Boston won’t have to wait till the season’s final weekend to print their playoff tickets.
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