The Boston Celtics didn't have the highest of expectations heading into the playoffs last season thanks to key injuries to Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, but they surprised everybody except themselves by falling just one game shy of the NBA Finals. With Irving and Hayward returning to their loaded core this season, many figured the Celtics would be the top dog in the Eastern Conference.

Things haven't gone according to plan, though, as Boston sits at 25-17, which is fifth place in the East. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens talked about the expectations for this season's team after what happened last year, per Chris Grenham of CelticsBlog and CNLS Media:

“You always have high expectations for your group. Last year, they may not have been what everybody else on the outside thought, once we had those injuries, but within the walls, we were super disappointed we didn't win that last game to go to the Finals.

“Ultimately it's about how you play and how you come together. How you do things together. It's about how you empower each other. It's about playing your best basketball. It takes a lot of teams a long time to get there. Some teams never get there. We'll see if this team does, from a consistent basis. But, we've shown that we have a chance, so that's good.”

It has been a roller-coaster ride of a season for these talented Celtics. They've looked unbeatable at times, while they've struggled for long stretches at others. Boston has had its share of drama with team meetings and high-profile disagreements, but there's still plenty of time for this group to come together and start playing at a consistently top-notch level heading into the postseason.