How can the Celtics regroup and plan for a potential return to the NBA Finals?
As the 2022-23 season approaches, our editors will cover intriguing topics around the league.
Who are the 3 best teams on paper in the East?
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Brooklyn nets
Maybe I’m a fanatic about Finals starters, but I like to believe that players and coaches learn a lot from the experience of losing the championship series. You could see that of Boston confidence grows game after game, even if it didn’t work last spring. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have become stars in their own right, Marcus Smart is a two-way sparkplug and Malcolm Brogdon and (eventually) Danilo Gallinari have been good additions with little to no subtraction. Milwaukee has Giannis Antetokounmpo in his prime (assuming he isn’t exhausted by the demands of his Greek national team this summer), two co-stars in Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, and a crew capable of reclaiming what was once the their. As for Brooklyn, this team is entirely “on paper”. The Kevin Durant commercial request It was absurd, because it was his best chance to win since he got there. Kyrie Irving is in a contract year and Ben Simmons should also be ready to catch a nasty mulligan in 2021-22. On paper.
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Brooklyn nets
After reaching the final for the first time in 12 years, Boston is one of the main contenders to take it back in 2022-2023. They kept the core of their team together – including not trading Jaylen Brown in a deal for Kevin Durant – and added Malcolm Brogdon to add a reliable playmaker to their mix. Milwaukee pushed Boston to seven games in the East semifinals without Khris Middleton. Had they been healthy, the 2021 champions might have had a chance to defend their title in the 2022 Finals. They have the talent to get back there in 2023. Ignoring the offseason troubles and watching strictly on paper, Brooklyn edges out Philly for third place behind its three All-NBA talents in Durant (after rescinding his trade request), Kyrie Irving (no longer restricted by vaccination mandates) and Ben Simmons (finally healthy and ready to play for the first time since June 2021).
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Brooklyn nets
The Celtics have what it takes to get back to the NBA Finals. Boston still has its key players from last season’s team, including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. The Celtics also addressed their offensive inconsistency by exchanging for veteran point guard Malcolm Brogdon. Dollars He could challenge the Celtics, though, and that might have been the case last season if it weren’t for Khris Middleton’s left knee injury during the playoffs. Although Milwaukee’s success depends primarily on Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks will greatly benefit from both Middleton’s return and keeping their roster intact. They retained most of their key free agents, including Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, Wesley Matthews and Jevon Carter. As for the nets, reject their dysfunction at your own risk. Kevin Durant remains one of the best players in the NBA. Kyrie Irving’s availability is no longer dependent on vaccination mandates. And Ben Simmons should be fully healthy.
On paper, the Nets and Bucks are 2 of the best teams in the East.
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn nets
Milwaukee has the best player in the conference (if not all of basketball) and, we assume, a healthy Khris Middleton this time. The main ingredients of the 2021 title team return, with a score to settle. Giannis Antetokounmpo is becoming a more complete offensive player now that he’s refining his mid-range jumper, and his defense and rebounding remain top-notch. The Celtics have found the solution to their main problem, a playmaker in Malcolm Brogdon. He can help make Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown less error-prone and fresher in the fourth quarter. And yes, it’s crazy… but after all the madness, the nets bring two certified winners in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, as well as an X-factor in Ben Simmons. It would be on the Mount Rushmore of weirdness if Brooklyn popped some bottles in June, almost a year after KD requested a trade and sold his front office and coach.
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn nets
- Philadelphia 76ers
The Milwaukee Bucks have the best player and perhaps the best top three in the conference. That matters a lot and the Bucks have certainly proven themselves more than a few teams on this list. But there’s a big dropoff when you get to spots 4-8 in the rotation, with the lack of a quality winger beyond Khris Middleton being a potential problem. If you go deep, the Boston Celtics seem to have the best group, with Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White and Grant Williams supporting what was a dominant starting lineup last season. Brooklyn has two of the most talented offensive players in the world, two of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and a pretty solid group beyond that. The Sixers obviously also belong in the conversation, having added De’Anthony Melton, PJ Tucker and Montrezl Harrell to what was already a talented group led by a Kia MVP candidate in Joel Embiid.
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Boston Celtics
- Philadelphia 76ers
Milwaukee features arguably the best player in the league, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and if you’ve been paying attention to what happened at EuroBasket, it’s not a stretch to expect improvement in 2022-23 from the 10 year rising veteran. The return of a healthy Khris Middleton, from that perspective, only solidifies the Bucks’ status atop the East. And we haven’t even touched on the acquisition of Joe Ingles, who could add some punch to the veteran if he adequately recovers from last season’s torn ACL. The reigning Eastern champions should also be squarely in the mix. Boston gained another valuable year of high-stakes playoff experience. How Jayson Tatum bounces back from a tough NBA Finals performance will determine the fate of the Celtics. In Philadelphiait appears James Harden has buckled down and locked in with improved conditioning to lead a hungry Sixers team that has improved by adding some gritty veterans.
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