Are Celtics the team to beat in the East?
The King has left his Eastern conference throne in pursuit of a new kingdom. Many players have said that the circular trophy is up for grabs. John Wall, the Washington Wizards’ floor general, spoke on the matter to the Washington Post saying, “That we really want to win and really want to take that next step.” With the addition of former All-Star center Dwight Howard, the Wizards could make some noise in the East. The Knicks are also looking to prove all the doubters wrong and they could do just that with their possible giant lineup. It would consist of Frank Ntilikina at the 1, Kevin Knox at the 2, Kristaps Porzingis playing small forward, Luke Kornet at the 4, and Mitchell Robinson at the 5. With two seven footers in at the same time, if Head Coach Fizdale can make this work, it will be very difficult for teams to get buckets in the paint. Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. had this to say, “All I know is we’re going to play team ball and get as many wins as possible so we can reach our goal and make the playoffs.” Possibly the city of love, Philadelphia, could conquer the East and send themselves to the NBA Finals for the first 
time since 2001. The Philly ball club has a great blend of experience and youth, and maybe the “Process” becomes complete. Sixers guard Ben Simmons said, “We’ve got to get past Boston, those are the guys at the top right now. Beating them, that’s our next goal.”
The Boston Celtics are coming off of a 55-win season and after taking LeBron James’ Cavs to 7 games in the ECF are ready to make the jump to owning the East. The C’s did not lose a single man during free agency and with superstars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward returning from injuries, they are poised to take over. As long as Head Coach Brad Stevens continues his policy of minute management and gets the best out of all his players they will surely take 1st place in the East and make it to The Finals. The point guard department is well thorough allowing for a well-spaced floor on offense and tough, hard-nosed defense. The Celtics’ swingmen group are definitely one of the best if not the best in the league with 
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Gordon Hayward. Veterans Al Horford, Aron Baynes, and Marcus Morris will be controlling the paint. With a fast-paced offense focused on creating a shot with the best possible percentage, beautiful pick and roll sets, and three-point shooting, they are for sure a contender for the conference as well as Mr. Larry O’Brien. There is no really close opposition in the East and the Celtics are most definitely the team to beat. They would have surely won the East last year but the Luck of the Irish was unable to work its charm. However, I can guarantee you that Boston will be in the NBA Finals this coming season.
