Charles Krupa/Associated Press
The Boston Celtics are ready to avenge their Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers after an eventful offseason, and they now know the schedule they will face along the way.
Boston and the rest of the league learned the 2017-18 slate Monday, and the Celtics' quest to repeat as the East's No. 1 seed and advance further in the postseason figures to be a primary storyline.
They retooled for another run at a title with one of the marquee offseason signings in Gordon Hayward. They also drafted Duke's Jayson Tatum No. 3 overall to add to their wing depth, which could help offset the loss of Avery Bradley—who Boston traded to the Detroit Pistons for Marcus Morris.
Here is a breakdown of the schedule for what figures to be one of the league's best teams this season.
2017-18 Details
Season Opener: Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m. ET at Cleveland Cavaliers on TNT
Championship Odds: 9-1 (via OddsShark)
Full Schedule: NBA.com
Top Matchups
Cleveland Cavaliers
Boston's offseason was largely predicated on taking the next step after a five-game loss to the Cavaliers in the conference finals, making the regular-season contests against the same foe some of the team's top matchups.
All four of the Celtics' losses in the series came by double digits, including a 44-point blowout in Game 2 and 33-point drubbing in Game 5. If nothing else, pride will be at stake for Boston when it laces it up against Cleveland so it can prove to itself and those around the league it can compete with LeBron James and Co.
It is difficult to envision Boston winning a playoff series against the mighty Cavaliers without at least the benefit of home-court advantage (even if it didn't do it much good during the 2017 postseason), and these head-to-head matchups are the best way to gain ground in the race for the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed.
Until he finally loses in the playoffs before the NBA Finals, the road through the East runs straight through James. He is the target Boston and the rest of the conference is pursuing this season, and victories in these games would send a signal the additions of Hayward and Tatum to a team already featuring Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford moved Boston in the right direction.
Washington Wizards
First Overall Matchup: Monday, Dec. 25, at 5:30 p.m. ET on ABC
With all the focus on the battle between Boston and Cleveland for the top seed, the Celtics cannot afford to overlook the Washington Wizards.
Washington nearly prevented last season's Eastern Conference Finals showdown during a grueling seven-game series in the second round against Boston, which featured a handful of contests that could have gone either way. Boston had home-court advantage, and it played a critical role with the home team winning every game of the series.
Like the matchups with Cleveland, these contests will prove critical for Eastern Conference seeding, and the home court was much more of a factor for the Celtics when James wasn't on the other team.
This is also a blossoming rivalry that featured black pregame outfits signaling funeral themes and an ejection and bad blood during postseason skirmishes. Rivalries provide additional excitement during the course of a long NBA season, and this is one of the best in today's version of the league.
That there will be playoff implications in the rivalry showdowns only makes these games more intriguing for the Celtics and their fans.
Record Prediction
Boston earned the No. 1 seed in the East last season with a 53-29 record and figures to improve even with the loss of Bradley and Kelly Olynyk.
The additions of Hayward and Tatum to what was already a loaded team are impossible to ignore, while Horford should be more comfortable in the system in his second year. What's more, the continued development of complementary pieces such as Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder and Jaylen Brown will only make the Celtics all the more formidable.
Boston will also enjoy playing in the Eastern Conference, which is widely considered the weaker of the two leagues, especially after playmakers such as Paul George, Jimmy Butler and Paul Millsap went to the West this offseason.
One concern is Thomas and the potential for a drop-off in production considering his 28.9 points per game in 2016-17 represented a significant jump from his previous career high of 22.2 the year before. It was only the third season of his career he reached the 20-points-per-game mark, although he won't be asked to carry as much of the load this season.
Thomas' help and the sheer talent level on the team, combined with a more favorable path to ideal seeding in the East, will make for a dominant season in Boston.
Prediction: 55-27