Following much uncertainty around veteran point guard Marcus Smart's future with the Boston Celtics, he has agreed to return to the team on a four-year, $52 million deal to be a long-term piece of the puzzle.
This has created a high level of excitement about the Celtics' title chances next season from Smart that he voiced that he believes the return of their All-Stars in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward will help give them a strong shot.
Marcus Smart: "I'm ecstatic and I'm ready to go. And I think with those missing pieces coming back, we have a real shot."
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 20, 2018
The Celtics have put together a highly talented team that has an impressive mixture of young and proven talent that could make the franchise into a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference for years to come. Beyond the expected return of their pair of All-Stars from injury, the team saw tremendous growth in the play from their rising stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each showing much promise through their play on the court. This was especially the case with Tatum as he effectively stepped into the primary scorer role in the playoffs.
These two were able to lead the charge offensively for the Celtics in the playoffs that pushed them to the brink of reaching the NBA Finals just a win away before falling in seven games to the LeBron James led-Cleveland Cavaliers. It had become quite clear that Boston needed their pair of All-Stars to help them break through against the Cavaliers in what could have been an intriguing NBA Finals showdown against the Golden State Warriors.
That said, the Celtics have put together a deep and talented roster that could quickly become the standard bearer in the Eastern Conference, especially with James now making the move to the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. There is plenty of optimism surrounding the organization and for a strong reason that made them the favorites to come out of the East this upcoming season.
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