The Boston Celtics' roster has undergone many changes from last season, but given the disappointing finish to the 2018-19 campaign, these changes probably were for the better.
Oddsmakers, based on NBA championship odds for the upcoming 2019-20 season, consider the Celtics to be the third-best team in the Eastern Conference -- a tier below the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics are 25-to-1 to win the 2020 NBA Finals at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas.
The betting line that will generate the most debate involving the Celtics before the season is their win total, which the Westgate has set at 49.5. Will the Celtics go over or under this number?
We're going to take the over side, and here's why.
1. The Celtics have averaged 51.25 wins over the last four seasons. They won 49 games last season despite their inconsistency, team chemistry issues, injuries and constant speculation/rumors over several players' 2019 free agency. If the Celtics could win 49 games despite all of that, they definitely can hit the 50-win mark in 2019-20.
2. Many of the Celtics' best players have a lot to prove, and Jaylen Brown might be at the top of the list. Brown is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and if he doesn't reach an extension with the C's before the Oct. 21 deadline, he'll be highly motivated to take his game to another level with the hopes of landing a huge deal in free agency next summer. Gordon Hayward also should be on a mission to prove he's still an All-Star level player now two years removed from a gruesome leg injury suffered on Opening Night in 2017. Jayson Tatum will be looking to bounce back after a somewhat disappointing sophomore season as well. Tatum has noted he wants to shoot more 3-pointers and attack the basket at a higher rate, and that's very encouraging for the Celtics.
3. Kemba Walker is an elite offensive player and capable of taking over the primary scorer role after Kyrie Irving's departure. Walker ranked 10th in the league in scoring by averaging 25.6 points per game for the Charlotte Hornets last season. He also finished second behind James Harden in clutch scoring. Walker was voted an All-Star Game starter and earned an All-NBA third team nod in 2018-19 as well. He's the type of player who can take over offensively late in games and create his own shot. Every top-tier team has one of these players.
Boston Celtics
Find the latest Boston Celtics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
4. There are a bunch of mediocre-to-bad teams in the East. The strength of the conference really drops off after the Bucks, 76ers, Celtics and maybe the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics should pick up plenty of wins throughout the season against teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards and Hornets.
Improving the defense a priority for Celtics>>>
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.