As the NBA season nears, it’s important to remember that both things can be true:
1) The Celtics are the best team in the league and have an excellent chance to repeat.
2) There are 29 other teams (OK, maybe like 10) looking to dethrone them. Raising Banner 19 is doable, but it will likely be even harder than last year.
The Celtics have gotten where they are in large part because of player development. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard have come a long way since the Celtics drafted them.