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2015 Boston Celtics Predictions and Futures Betting Odds

by - 10/21/2015

Jared Sullinger of the Boston Celtics

Brad Stevens is a very good coach. One of the very best in the league already. And he's young and just building the team that he wants. A few years from now it sure wouldn't be a shock if he were the best in the league. Really, it would kind of be a shock if he weren't. All you need to know about how good he has been so far is that he got the team that he had last year into the playoffs - as a seventh seed - and they didn't embarrass themselves too much despite being swept by Cleveland. This is a team on the rise and one that had a solid offseason.

2015 Boston Celtics Betting Story Lines

This was a much-improved team last year as soon as they got rid of Rajon Rondo one of the most overrated players in the league. They added Jae Crowder and Brandan Wright in his place and then traded for Isaiah Thomas to play the point, and they added Jonas Jerebko, too. After those changes the team went 20-10 down the stretch. That left them at 40-42 - all you needed in the lousy East. Wright was traded soon after, but the other players were key then, and the three of them will be high-usage players this year. There isn't a team in the league that couldn't get better just by getting rid of Rondo, and that combined with these three having time to get more comfortable with the team and their roles can only be viewed as a positive.

Thomas isn't all peaches and cream, though. He is offensively sound, and his leadership is appreciated, but he is a disaster defensively. They typically hide him when they can to avoid defensive liability, so he won't play as much as he ideally would. That means that Marcus Smart is left to control the play instead of playing shooting guard more often than is really ideal. Smart is defensively strong - especially when matching up against another point guard - but his shooting and instincts aren't where they should be yet. Thomas didn't start any games last year, yet he led the team in scoring. The balance on the point will be key to watch.

What makes this team unique is the focus of their roster - they are a pretty good team built without a star player. You can't even easily pick out the best player on the roster. There are positives and negatives to that. When the load is shared instead of placed on the shoulders of a star, it's theoretically harder for the team to slump or for opposing defenses to really shut the team down. That's good. On the other hand, though, the lack of a clear leader or star can make it tough for the team to rally when things get particularly tough.

2015 Boston Celtics Additions and Departures

The team made major changes in the season last year, but they still aren't entering the season with the same team they had. In fact, they made some strong and useful moves this summer. For starters, they added David Lee from the Warriors. He wanted a bigger role than he was going to get in Golden State. He's no longer the player he once was, but this team could use more of an offensive post presence, and he is capable of providing that. As well, a veteran presence - one with championship experience - can always be useful on a young team like this.

They didn't stop there. Amir Johnson was added from the Raptors to add depth and talent to the frontcourt rotation as well. Lee and Johnson add options and make this team better - even if neither is a megastar.

The team added two very nice players in the first round of the draft - Terry Rozier and R.J. Hunter. I like both players, and they have upside, but there is a long learning curve ahead of both, and neither is likely to be a major presence this year.

2015 Boston Celtics Futures Odds and Trends

Boston was a betting star last year - at 49-32-1 ATS only Atlanta was a better team for bettors. They went "over" the total in 42 of 82 games, so there was no clear trend on that front.

Boston Celtics Futures Odds (from BetOnline)

NBA title odds : +10000

Eastern Conference title odds : +4000

Odds to win the Atlantic Division: +350

2015 Boston Celtics Predictions and Futures Odds Picks

This is an improved team. I wish they had a star player, but they are deep and talented enough, and their coaching is outstanding. They bought in so well in the second half last year, and I expect the same here. If they can stay reasonably healthy they can take a step forward - 45 wins would be a nice target, and a couple more wins would be possible. The East is a little better on the bottom end this year, but they are still very well-positioned to be a playoff team - one that higher-seeded teams will want nothing to do with in the playoffs. They were second in the Atlantic Division last year and should finish there again, with a legitimate shot to get past the Raptors and win the division if things go well.

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