Boston Celtics: 3 storylines to watch during 2018-19 season

2. One ball, and 5 stars

The title of this is, of course, a tad comical, but it is the first time this starting lineup will be on the floor together.

With Gordon Hayward’s injury, the young tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were thrown into the spotlight. With limited expectations, the two blew them out of the water.

Both of their on-ball defense was vastly improved and got better on that side of the ball as the season progressed. They looked dynamic on offense as well and established themselves as the future of the NBA.

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Kyrie Irving was fantastic last year besides his injuries. He is a wizard with the ball in his hands and makes grown men look silly just by the movements of his hands. He explodes to the basket and is regarded as one of the best finishers around the rim.

All in all, he seemed happy to get his teammates involved, but took over when the team needed him the most. He is a superstar, top 10 player, and the league, and the franchise cornerstone the team was missing for so many years.

Then there is Al Horford, the unsung hero. Whether it is a big shot or clutch defensive stop, Horford always has a knack for showing up when the team needs him most. He has been worth the large contract he has received and is a great leader.

You can just tell from his quotes and actions that he loves being a Celtic, and as a Boston Celtics fan, I love that he is one.

All of this is of course complimented by the return of Gordon Hayward. Hayward is coming off a gruesome broken leg but was said to have made a full recovery. In preseason he looked healthy and ready to go, and it should be interesting to see how he plays. In Utah, Hayward was a great volume scorer with good range and averages to match.

These guys are all capable of scoring 20 points a game, but there is only one ball to go around. Brad Stevens fluid offense should open up great lanes to the basket and opportunities for open jumpers.

Just because their scoring averages may be spread out a bit, this team will be amazing on both sides of the ball. It will take some sacrifice (probably from Al Horford), but just like the Golden State Warriors, they should be able to coexist beautifully. It should be really fun watching the chemistry these guys can develop.