Celtics face new season with a revamped roster, no Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown leading the charge

Boston Celtics Last season - lost to New York in Eastern Conference semifinals COACH Joe Mazzulla fourth season - SEASON OPENER Oct vs Philadelphia DEPARTURES G Jrue Holiday F C Kristaps Porzingis F C Al Horford C Luke Kornet ADDITIONS G Anfernee Simons F Chris Boucher C Luka Garza G Hugo Gonz lez C Amari Williams BetMGM championship odds - What to expect The Celtics aren t a favorite to emerge from the East coming off a failed NBA title defense last season that ended with a conference semifinals loss to New York It also included he loss of star Jayson Tatum to a ruptured right Achilles tendon an injury that will sideline him for the foreseeable future That was the start of an offseason full of change that included Boston trading both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in salary dumps to get under the second luxury tax apron Also gone are veteran Al Horford and fellow big man Luke Kornet It s left the leadership reins in the hands of All-Star Jaylen Brown who along with Derrick White and Payton Pritchard will anchor a youthful roster that president of basketball operation Brad Stevens and coach Joe Mazzulla believe can keep the Celtics competitive while Tatum is on the mend Strengths and weaknesses While Boston lost two starters and a chunk of the veteran core that contributed to the championship association they still want to play fast on offense and cause chaos on defense for opponents Brown will be the primary scoring threat with Tatum sidelined but he has capable contributors alongside him in White and Pritchard They will also be bringing several new faces into the rotation Yet it s unclear how promptly Mazzulla can get newcomers like Simons and Boucher integrated into his system That will go a long way in dictating how effective this group will be The same is true on the defensive end where Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman will need to help protect the rim and increase their rebounding output with Horford and Porzingis gone Players to watch It starts with Brown who will get his first true chance since entering the league to be the primary option for his band He s coming off a minor procedure on his knee this offseason which is something to watch as his minutes will naturally increase It s also a big year for Pritchard coming off earning NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors last season He ll get a lot more opportunities on offense and also will need to increase his scoring output for this club to remain relevant in the East