The 2016-17 NBA regular season saw a lot of change in the Boston Celtics

Franchise. The Celtics signed Al Horford and drafted Jaylen Brown in the 2016 NBA draft. They added depth to their roster trying to make it to the finals. Although being seeded 1st in the Eastern Conference this last season they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Missing the finals again for another straight year only meant that the Celtics were missing some pieces. However, with another season lost and another offseason passed,  the Celtics made some big changes. The changes they made raised an important question. Will the Celtics be title contenders this year?

Right as the offseason started the Celtics didn’t hesitate making moves. Out of the gate the Celtics swapped the number one pick for the third pick taking Jayson Tatum with that pick. From there it only got better. Weeks later Gordon Hayward announced that he would sign with the team in hopes of winning a ring. With an all-star forward signing with the Celtics, it looked pretty obvious that the Celtics were going to be in the finals sooner rather than later.

Weeks past and the Celtics looked like they were done making moves. People thought that this was it of the offseason and the team was set and stone. The roster looked complete, until the Celtics did something that caught all of the sport worlds’ eyes. The Celtics made the biggest blockbuster deal of the century.

On August 22nd, 2017 four time NBA all-star point guard Kyrie Irving was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers. This was a monstrous pickup for the Celtics as it increased their backcourt tremendously. Although, the Celtics did lose Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder, they did acquire someone who can do everything. According to Westgate, with the addition to Kyrie Irving it increased their chance of winning from 30-1 to 15-1 odds.

The 2017-18 NBA regular season should be very interesting for Celtics fans. Now adding two all-star caliber players to the roster and getting a much more younger and talented bench, they look ready to win. The Celtics look ready to steal the spotlight and make it to the finals this years. I think the Celtics will defeat the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals and go to the NBA Finals. Basketball fans are excited for this season due to lots of changes in the league and for the competition going forward. When October 17 comes the next brand new super team will take the floor and make their mark on a journey to the finals.