For the first time in years, the Boston Celtics will enter the new season without the expectation of competing for a championship. Brad Stevens has made sweeping changes to the roster, as he looked to get the Celtics under the second luxury tax apron and potentially out of the luxury tax altogether.

The Celtics center position has undergone the most change, with Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet and Al Horford all leaving this summer. In their place, Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, Xavier Tillman and Chris Boucher will try to fill the void. Therefore, there will undoubtedly be some struggles to begin the season, as the new big man rotation acclimates to increased roles, a new system and the additional defensive attention they will receive.

Advertisement

Boston is also weak at both forward positions, too. As such, it’s fair to expect a difficult season lies ahead of Joe Mazzulla’s roster, especially on the defensive end, where there appears to be a limited amount of upside. During a recent episode of “Locked On Pistons,” host Ku Khahil was joined by Celtics reporter John Karalis to discuss the Celtics’ upcoming season, the challenges the roster will face, and how they can navigate those changes while remaining competitive.

You can watch the full discussion by clicking on the embedded video above.

Watch or listen to the “Celtics Chronicle” podcast on:

Advertisement

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QnlPcS

Spotify: https://bit.ly/40JRevf

Apple: https://apple.co/45sAUBG

Substack: https://bit.ly/3WoA0Cf

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: The Celtics will need to adjust expectations this season