5 Boston Celtics storylines to follow for the 2021-22 NBA season
![The Boston Celtics revamped their lineup to challenge for the NBA championship. [Photo: NBC Sports]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/10/0dadf-16342861886502-1920.jpg?w=500)
The Boston Celtics come into the 2021-22 NBA season with a vastly retooled roster. They hope that last year’s early playoff exit was just a blip in their quest to add banner #18.
New President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens brought in a new head coach and a slew of free agents to help Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum reach the pinnacle of NBA success.
The organization's overhaul also means there are new storylines to keep track of as the Boston Celtics try to get back to where they were back in 2008. Newly installed and first-time head coach Ime Udoka has his work cut out for him in an Eastern Conference that is heavily stacked with talent.
The Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat are a murderer’s row of East playoff-bound teams. The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, feature the youngest and most explosive duo in the league right now. But they would need all the help they can get to stand toe-to-toe against elite opposition.
How the Boston Celtics’ featured storylines develop could determine how far they will go in this year’s NBA campaign. On that note, here's a look at five Boston Celtics narratives to monitor in the 2021-22 season:
#5 The Boston Celtics’ defensive performance
Ime Udoka has made a coaching career out of planning and executing defensive schemes. Brad Stevens, in Udoka’s introductory press conference, vividly recalled the new coach’s exceptional calling of the defense in the Boston Celtics' playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Last year, the Celtics yet again faced an Ime Udoka-led defense while he was with the Brooklyn Nets. The Gregg Popovich protege was partly hired by Stevens because of how he consistently gets the most out of his unit to focus and carry out his defensive plans.
Last season, the Boston Celtics slipped to 13th overall in defensive rating. They have to improve that because the best teams in the league are loaded with firepower. If the Cs hope to have a chance of getting deep into the playoffs, defense is most likely their calling card.
“People are sleeping on Boston. The Celtics are deep, with the makings of a top-5-ish defense; lineups featuring Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Robert Williams III will be hard to score against.”
- ESPN’s Zach Lowe https://t.co/QBRDq6ai3v
The Boston Celtics acquired a few pieces that could greatly help their defensive performance this season. Al Horford and Josh Richardson are solid defenders who don’t buckle under pressure. The Celtics will also count on the development of Robert Williams to become an All-NBA defensive talent. A unit of Marcus Smart, Josh Richardson, the Js and Williams could be a pain to score against.
Ime Udoka has, potentially, the pieces to make the Boston Celtics’ defense a difficult problem for opposing teams to solve.
#4 Aaron Nesmith’s emergence
Aaron Nesmith came into the league with a reputation for being a deadly shooter. He shot a sizzling 52.2% of his threes in his second and final year at Vanderbilt. The lack of training camp, the quick adjustment from college to the pros, and the unforgiving physicality of the NBA caused him to struggle initially. He could hardly get playing time, let alone score a basket.
The incoming 21-year-old sophomore did start to turn things around in the last ten games of the regular season, though. He averaged 21.6 minutes, where he registered 9.7 PPG on 45.2% shooting from rainbow country. The minutes he earned were not largely because of his shooting, but more because of his all-out energy and hustle.
Nesmith’s improved play for the Boston Celtics continued into the summer league, training camp and preseason. Together with Payton Pritchard, they could give the Celtics bench a much-needed scoring boost when the starters are rested.
“I’m proud of the work he puts in. I see it every day."
From Summer League to preseason, Aaron Nesmith has proven to be much more than a 3-and-D wing. There are several other layers to the 21-year-old’s game that he’s unveiling right before our eyes.
nba.com/celtics/news/s…
If the Boston Celtics can get that kind of shooting efficiency from Nesmith to go along with his defensive intensity and hustle, he could crack the starting lineup sooner than expected. Nesmith’s shooting could force defenses to account for him, giving Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum even more room to operate.
Nesmith could become the Celtics' X-factor that’d allow them to be a serious threat to challenge the best teams in the NBA.