After one of the more interesting offseasons in the NBA, the Boston Celtics may get a chance at revenge next season, as ESPN predicts the Celtics to play the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. According to ESPN, Boston will finish with a record of 48-34, good for fifth in the East, while the 76ers are predicted to finish with a record of 50-32, which would give them the No. 4 seed.
Boston was eliminated by the 76ers in this past season's playoffs in seven games after holding a 3-1 lead. Making this potential matchup more interesting is the fact that Boston traded Jaylen Brown to Philly in exchange for Paul George, two firsts, and two seconds. After acquiring Brown, the 76ers then signed LeBron James, one of the Celtics' biggest rivals.
Should ESPN be correct in this prediction, it could be just what Boston needs amidst a season where everybody seems to be counting them out.
The Celtics should want ESPN's prediction to happen
Last season's playoffs were a huge disappointment for the Celtics and the fans. Getting a chance to avenge that defeat in the following season would be something that should give the team extra motivation. With Philly looking like a team that could be contenders for the NBA championship, knocking them out of the playoffs would be even sweeter.
With how the offseason went down for Boston, it makes sense why people are lower on the team. George isn't the player that Brown is, but overall, this Celtics team can still be quite good. Compared to last season, this team is deeper, and the young guys on the roster have gained experience from having to play more last season.
Though the reasoning isn't the same, Boston finds itself in a similar spot, with them being written off like last season. Yes, the ending to the season was awful, but last season saw a lot of encouraging signs. Building off of those will be key for the Celtics' season.
In a potential rematch, however, Boston can't play with revenge on their mind; if they are too focused on getting revenge, the Celtics could make things harder on themselves. Should they use what happened last season as a chip on their shoulder? Yes, but they can't let revenge be the main focus of the season. Focusing on revenge isn't a recipe for success, as you can blind yourself in the pursuit.
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