How many games will the Boston Celtics win this year? (Staff Roundtable)

I asked the staff a pretty straightforward question for this one: Predict how many wins are the Celtics going to get (explain).

Mark Aboyoun

After a 64-18 record last season, my bet is that Boston will finish with a 57 wins. I think they’ll still win the East, but without Porzingis to start the season there will be an adjustment period and I can see them dropping a few games early in the season. When KP returns, there will be another adjustment period where the offensive and defensive flow will be off until they remember how to play with each other.

Oliver Fox

As much as I’d like to sit here and predict 68 wins, which this team is more than capable of on paper, that’s just not a realistic projection for a team that just won the title. Ignoring Porzingis’ absence, I’m on record as very concerned with the Celtics’ motivation level going into this year, and I don’t see them killing themselves in late-March trying to win 70 games or something. I’m with Mark, give me 58 clean wins, especially with how Boston will have to manage the health of Horford and Porzingis going into the playoffs

Nirav Barman

This year, I have the Celtics going 62-20. Last year’s Celtics were historic in a number of ways. They were so dominant, that they essentially got to take the last month of the regular season off, clinching the 1st overall record in the league well before the playoffs. This year, I see them flipping that season around, taking it easier at the beginning of the season as they get in the flow of things with Porzingis rehabbing from injury, and putting in a stronger push at the end of the season to secure their place atop the league again as they head into the playoffs with some steam. The East is surely going to be more competitive this year, but the Celtics are bringing back a banner-winning roster that has been through it all together. What may lead to a few more losses due to higher competition in some games can be negated by their own experience and talent in other games. I don’t see their overall record taking too much of a hit in the end. (edited)

Ian Inangelo

I think the Celtics will go 60-22 this season. They are essentially running it back with the same roster that just won 64 games last season so I don’t think it will be that much of a step back. No Porzingis could result in a few more losses in the beginning of the year but unless there’s catastrophic injuries to the roster, I don’t see how this team can’t win 60 games…