For the first time since the Big Three walked the halls of TD Garden, the Boston Celtics are considered contenders in the East. There is no more rebuild. There is no more “next year”. This season is set to be the most important season during the Brad Stevens Era.
It seems the NBA has noticed the Celtics are no longer a team destined for a one-and-done playoff stint, and has scheduled their season accordingly. Boston has 24 nationally televised games, the eigth most in the NBA this season, opposed to just seven last year.