They seemed like such a surefire championship contender just one year ago. With no Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward in the fold, instead led by their young stars, the Boston Celtics found a way to come within one-quarter of the NBA Finals.
All of last summer, the talk was about the inevitable showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics in this years NBA Finals. These Celtics serve as proof that this league is far from black and white.
Teams don’t always operate with an upward trajectory. Boston’s Cinderella playoff run in 2018 seemed like a blessing at the moment, but ultimately became the root of the issues they now face.