After a Busy Offseason, What Can We Really Expect from the Celtics?

Celtics GM Danny Ainge has been hoarding assets and promising fireworks for years now. Did he deliver this offseason?

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

One year ago, I wrote about how the Celtics, who had just signed Al Horford, were in talks to bring in either Russell Westbrook or Blake Griffin.

We now know that those acquisitions were long shots, but the Celtics’ transaction buzz remains ongoing.

After signing Gordon Hayward and trading Avery Bradley, the Celtics are rumored to be in the market for three-time All-Star, and 2012-13 Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol.

After a seemingly successful draft and early offseason, the Celtics are Las Vegas’ third-most likely team to win a title, at 15-to-2 odds for the NBA championship.

However, just like 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers lurk at 5-to-1 odds for the title, and LeBron’s squad has overwhelming odds at winning the conference. Can Boston get over that hump in the East?

Bob Lobel: More Excitement than Boston Planned for this Summer

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Back with, hopefully, something to say. 

This seems like a no action spring and summer, but look more closely. The NBA has had a much more exciting and event filled offseason than anything that happened during the regular season and playoffs. Yes, the finals were eye-opening to many who had no clue about the skill set it takes to play championship basketball in this era. Now we all know it’s a skill that borders on the unbelievable, with the remarkable talent that it takes to win. 

Remarkable.

Bob Lobel: It's Getting Harder to Be a Sports Fan

By Bob Lobel  @boblobel

So, I'm driving and listening to the usual stuff on sports radio, and it dawned on me that what I used to know and talk about, I have no interest in anymore.

Why is that? 

Easy answer: Every sports conversation must carry with it a complete knowledge of the salary structure and cap space, as well as free agents, who are anything but free, just get into the game.

Smart people invariably say stupid things. On both sides of the phone.

Bob Lobel: The Magic Numbers of Boston Sports

By Bob Lobel  @boblobel

Jake Peavy, where have you been all this time?  

There are plenty of us out there in fan world that truly believed there was no baseball player like you left on the planet. We spent so much time on the hate train dealing with the A-Rods and Carl Crawfords of the universe, that a performance like your last against the Dodgers in L.A. on Sunday was something to behold.

In fact, it was the best of six really very good starting pitching performances that should not go unnoticed.  Lester, Lackey, Doubront and Peavy were sensational, win or lose, on the six day west coast trip. Peavy, as I mentioned, was best.. A bulldog, in your face, try to hit me kind of job.