It’s unclear what the future holds for the 2023-24 Boston Celtics, but the feeling around the league is pretty positive as the season begins. According to an anonymous poll conducted by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, a group of 15 coaches, scouts, and executives identified the Celtics as the most likely team to win the title this coming year.
Boston is already projected to be one of the top teams in the league next season, so perhaps it’s no surprise the mood around the Celtics is rather positive on this edition of ESPN’s survey. From Jayson Tatum’s MVP odds to a possible 18th banner, those polled were quite high on Boston’s upcoming season.
Buy Celtics TicketsOnly time will tell if these survey results prove prophetic. For now, let’s explore them a little more deeply.
Let’s take a look at what we believe we’ll see once the dust settles on the season. https://t.co/AJSLVqlHtq
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 26, 2023
The Celtics were the most popular pick for future NBA champion, with six of fifteen votes swinging in favor of Boston. The Denver Nuggets were the second most popular choice, earning five selections. (No, 15 is not a statistically significant sample size.)
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is how much respect the survey participants have for Boston’s roster design and overall potential. Nine of the anonymous NBA insiders selected the Celtics to win the Eastern Conference overall, a metric of how poised for success Boston may be. Bontemps does point out that this preseason survey has mixed results in its predictive capabilities.
Regardless, those polled seem bullish on the Celtics across the board. Boston had the second-highest rated 2023 offseason behind only the San Antonio Spurs, while trading for Kristaps Porzingis was dubbed the most surprising move of the summer.
“The Celtics being led by a big, strong, and incredibly skilled wing happened not so long ago, with history repeating itself now,” writes B/R. https://t.co/Tn3YeeVli0
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 26, 2023
The poll also featured a few questions about individual players and future awards. Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo were the overwhelming headliners here. These two stood alone as the only individuals to receive votes as the league’s top player, and were dubbed most likely to win MVP next season. Tatum was third in this category with 2 overall selections.
Even if Tatum doesn’t win a coveted MVP award this season, the consensus is that his future is bright. He was dubbed one of the names chosen as most likely to be the top player in the NBA in five years. Luka Doncic was the top vote getter here with six selections.
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