Panel of NBA Coaches, Executives, and Scouts Cites Celtics as the Team that had the Best Offseason
This summer, the Celtics added Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari without subtracting any of the mainstays of a playoff rotation that went to the NBA Finals.
As a result, some, such as FanDuel Sportsbook, view Boston as the betting favorite to win the 2022-23 NBA title.
Gallinari tore the meniscus in his left while playing for the Italian National Team over the weekend, but he avoided a season-ending injury. According to Sportando, the 13-year veteran could make his Celtics debut in November.
As detailed while examining potential recovery timelines for Gallinari and how Boston might handle his absence, including potential acquisitions, for him to suit up in November, doctors must determine he can take one of two paths. Either he has his meniscus trimmed like Robert Williams did last season, which allowed him to return after four weeks, or Gallinari can avoid surgery, relying on rest and rehab.
When Gallinari, a career 15.6 points per game scorer and 38.2 percent three-point shooter on 5.1 attempts per contest, joins the Celtics' rotation, he'll provide a scoring boost to Boston's second unit, which ranked in the bottom five in points per game in the regular season, averaging 30.2 per contest. In the playoffs, they ranked 14th out of 16 teams, providing only 22.5 points, according to NBA.com.
And with the Celtics upgrading their rotation and becoming more versatile in their potential lineup combinations, a panel of 15 NBA coaches, scouts, and executives believe no team had a better offseason than Boston. Tim Bontemps of ESPN conducted the poll.
The Celtics received six votes while the Sixers and Jazz tied for second with two apiece.
Further Reading
Examining How the Celtics Might Manage Their Center Rotation
[Watch] Jaylen Brown Pushes Himself to the Limit in Offseason Workout