5 Bold Predictions for the Boston Celtics Season

The Boston Celtics opened up their season against the Brooklyn Nets, and while not many people see them as playoff contenders I still have some bold predictions for this season.

1. Jeff Green will be traded while Rajon Rondo will not: The trade rumors will swirl all year for Rajon Rondo because there aren’t many times a rebuilding team has an expiring contract who also happens to be a four-time All-Star in the prime of his career. However, the asking price for Rondo will be sky high because he has been so valuable over his career. The more likely piece to be moved is SF Jeff Green who has a player option for next year. Green is very up and down, but can be a prolific scorer in a system where he isn’t the primary scoring option. Danny Ainge will certainly be able to find value in any trade involving Green.
2. Marcus Thornton will be their most valuable bench player: The Celtics have players like Tyler Zeller, Marcus Smart and Evan Turner coming off the bench who have all shown some very positive things this preseason. However, Thornton will be the most valuable thanks to some great shooting from three-point range. The Celtics haven’t had a bench shooter like him in some time and will have the ability to stay in games in the fourth quarter, where they struggled mightily last year. Despite him being an expiring contract that they could conceivably move, he will be crucial for the Celtics.
3. The Celtics will take on at least one big expiring contract this year: Some of the names that have been floated around in Rondo trade rumors are players like Amare Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani and more. The Celtics will likely have to take on one and that could come from either a Rondo or Green trade. While this might hurt them in the short-term, they will likely acquire more picks to stash and make some deals to improve dramatically next year.
4. Jared Sullinger will be the best 4 or 5 to step on the court in the Atlantic Division this year: The Atlantic is a pretty weak division but in a division that features big men like Kevin Garnett, Amir Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas and Nerlens Noel among others, Sullinger will have to step up. In the preseason, he looked dominant especially in the last five games averaging 15.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game (all against divisional opponents including a mammoth 36 points and 36 rebounds in two combined games against the Brooklyn Nets). Look for a big jump from Sullinger, regardless if he is the best big man in the Atlantic.
5. The Celtics will go 8-8 in the division this year: For a team that went 5-11 in their division last year, and for the Nets to get the 6th seed in the east with a 9-7 record in the division last year, it’s a pretty big jump. The Celtics will be more confident in Brad Stevens’ system and they should be able to make a jump in games they should win/could win.

Let me know what you think about these predictions in the comments below. It should be an interesting year two of the rebuild for Brad Stevens and company.