Predicting the Boston Celtics’ top 5 scorers for the 2021-22 NBA season
The Boston Celtics had very high hopes entering the 2020-21 season after battling the Miami Heat in the 2019-20 Eastern Conference Finals. However, the loss of Gordon Hayward, who averaged 17.5 points per game in his last season with the Celtics, and Kemba Walker's persistent injury troubles showed that the Green Machine lacked the scoring depth to contend for the title.
Evan Fournier's addition helped the Boston Celtics tread water, but the Frenchman was often out with an injury and had to be sidelined due to health and protocol mandates. In the end, the Celtics lost Jaylen Brown to a season-ending wrist injury that all but mercifully wrecked their hopes of going deep into the playoffs.
Their even 36-36 record brought them to the play-in tournament, where they dispatched the Washington Wizards to clinch the 7th seed in the East. Claiming the 7th seed at the time also meant facing the mighty Brooklyn Nets in a seven-game series. The Celtics were defeated 4-1, with the lone win coming after Jayson Tatum erupted for 50 points in Game 3.
Coming into the 2021-22 season, the Boston Celtics hired Ime Udoka to guide the team. One of Udoka's main objectives will be to improve the team's defensive rating, which fell to 13th last season.
Talking to some NBA coaches and here's what the say Ime Udoka's strengths are:
-"He's a connector. He'll build relationships, real ones, with everyone in the building very quickly."
-"Defense. He played in the league because of his defense. That's his calling card as a coach."
A drastic improvement on defense alone will not be enough in a stacked Eastern Conference playoff battle. The Boston Celtics will need scoring firepower to be bona fide title hopefuls. Without Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, the rest of the roster will have to punch their weight for the Celtics to have a meaningful playoff run.
Players who will help carry the scoring load for the Boston Celtics in the coming season
#5 Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart has surpassed his scoring average in each of his seven seasons with the Boston Celtics. This could be the year when Celtics fans will see a regression in his output simply because his main task on offense will be to set up his teammates. As the point guard, he would have to make sure Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are fed the ball in their sweet spots.
Allowing others to carry more of the scoring load will give Smart extra energy to hound the opposing team's best players. He has been the Boston Celtics' best defensive player, and that is not likely to change in the coming season.
With that being said, Marcus Smart would still need to provide his fair share of the scoring. His scoring will be a big boost to the unpredictability of the Celtics offense. He could average around 11 points a game.
A ball hawk on defense and a solid floor general will help the Boston Celtics' quest to extend their playoff finish last campaign.
#4 Al Horford
After only a 28-game stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Al Horford seems reinvigorated on his return to the Boston Celtics.
Based on the preseason games, it looks like Horford is moving very well on both ends of the floor. Vintage Al Horford is a guaranteed double-digit scorer who can space the floor or post down low.
Al Horford is in the best physical shape of his entire career 😲 https://t.co/Fl9spYek0d
Al Horford could resume his scoring average of around 14 PPG. Whether he gets his minutes as a starter or backup to the rising Robert Williams is still something to keep an eye on.
As good as Williams has been, particularly in the playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets, Horford's offensive game is still way better at this point in the former's development.