Season Predictions

Posted by Ryan DeGama on Dec 22, 2011 2330918 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2011%2F12%2F22%2Fseason-predictions%2FSeason+Predictions2011-12-23+00%3A25%3A40Ryan+DeGamahttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D23309

CelticsHub contributed regular season and playoff predictions over at Chris Forsberg’s ESPN Boston Celtics Report. Here’s where our heads are at three days before the season tips:

CelticsHub’s Brian Robb (ESPN.com TrueHoop Network)
Predicted record: 41-25
Season outcome: Lose in Eastern Conference finals
Summary: The loss of Jeff Green is a major blow, but I still land on the optimistic side of the fence for this squad. After last year’s disappointment, the sense of urgency is greater than ever for the senior members of the C’s, and I see one final deep playoff run for this core. The new-look bench should help take some of the onus off the starters and with the addition of another veteran scorer (via buyout), Boston could sneak up on people. The X factors? Health and the ability for Rajon Rondo to excel consistently.

CelticsHub’s Ryan DeGama (ESPN.com TrueHoop Network)
Predicted record: 38-28
Season outcome: Lose in Eastern Conference semifinals
Summary: The compressed regular season will not only weather the aged Celtics but hang a lantern on their offensive decline. Danny Ainge wisely tried to upgrade the talent at the top of the roster but failing a Hail Mary at the trade deadline, this proud bunch will again run out of gas in the early rounds.

CelticsHub’s Brendan Jackson (ESPN.com TrueHoop Network)
Predicted record: 40-26
Season outcome: Lose in Eastern Conference finals
Summary: It’s not going to be easy, but I think the Celtics will be the third best team in the East behind Miami and Chicago. This makes them poised to play a tough Eastern Conference team in the first round that could easily bounce the older, injury prone Cs. Think Boston v. Indiana. The Celtics get bounced by the young, deep Pacers and storylines abound. David West gets to say “told ya so!” to Ray Allen and the once-Champion Celtics go down in much the same way the 2003-2008 Detroit Pistons era did. On the flip-side, say the Celtics manage to stay healthy and fresh going into the playoffs. Not only that but they also hit their stride going in and win their last 7 regular season games. They steamroll through the first round, and manage to get through the next two rounds against really tough opponents. The last hurrah is a trip to the finals where no matter the outcome, the C’s can still hold their heads high. I think ultimately it will be somewhere in between but I’ll err on the side of the positive. The Celtics will lose in the Eastern Conference finals and the Big Three era will go down in an ESPN Instant Classic dog fight. The series will be so intense that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade‘s over-celebration will be appropriate.

CelticsHub’s Hayes Davenport (ESPN.com TrueHoop Network)
Predicted record: 40-26
Season outcome: Lose in Eastern Conference semifinals
Summary: Even with the improvements made around the East, I think the Celtics are good for a playoff seed in the 3-4 range. But though they won’t be an easy matchup for anybody, I don’t see them beating Miami or Chicago in the playoffs.

Check out ESPN Boston to see everyone else’s predictions for the C’s in 2011-12.