The Boston Celtics started off their 2010-2011 season with a win over The Miami Heat, and they are off to a 4 – 1 start so far this season. The Celtics look like the most complete team in the NBA with a deep bench and a good starting five. They seem to be the team that has the best shot and dethroning the Los Angeles Lakers, and will also keep the Miami Heat from reaching the finals after their big upgrades in the offseason.
Odds to Win NBA Title: The Boston Celtics are presently listed at +900 (9 to 1) to win the NBA Title this season. These are the third best odds for any team in the league, trailing only the defending champion LA Lakers (+300) and the much improved Miami Heat (+170). What this means is that sportsbooks give the Celtics approximately a 10% chance of winning the NBA Championship in the 2010-11 season.
Odds to Win the East: Looking at the latest NBA odds, Boston is listed at +550 (5.5 to 1) to win the Eastern Conference in the coming season, in other words, they have about a 15% chance to return to the Finals. Both Miami (-175) and Orlando (+450) are being given a higher chance at winning the East, 
which is startling seeing that the Magic’s odds for winning the NBA Finals (+1000) are slightly worse than the Celtic’s.
Suggestion: These aren’t great numbers for a squad that is aging and more vulnerable to health issues.
Strengths: The Celtics have a strong core of veterans returning with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. These players are all drawing close to the end of their careers, but they all have the ability to be productive. Point guard Rajon Rondo is the young look of the franchise. He brings a much-needed spark on both offense and defense. Rondo is not a great shooter, but is a remarkable defender and can be a nightmare for opponents to stop in transition.
The Celtics added both Jermaine and Shaquille O’Neal in the offseason to help fill the void in the paint left by Rasheed Wallace’s retirement, as well as the health problems of Kendrick Perkins, who is likely to miss the first several months of the season. The Celtics finished 29th in the league in rebounding last season, but the addition of Jermaine and Shaq, who both averaged just under 7 boards per game last year, should give the team a boost in that area.
Weaknesses: Obviously the increasing age of much of the roster is one of the biggest concerns for Boston. They showed last year that their age was not as big of a factor as some were led to think, however, they were able to avoid key injuries at pivotal points in their season, something that will be more and more tough to do as their starters continue to grow older.
When big men in the NBA fall off, they tend to decline much faster than guards. Adding both O’Neals to the lineup makes sense in theory, but how efficient they can be defensively in the middle against the league’s premiere big men is something to keep an eye on.
Predictions: There’s no grounds to believe that the Celtics won’t be a serious challenger again in the East. There are injury risks for every team in the NBA. The Celtics might have a higher risk in that department, but they still have a good enough core to make the playoffs, where, if healthy, they will again be tough to beat.
I have Boston ending up first in the division, but I have my concerns about them getting past potentially Miami and Orlando to win the East. A healthy Boston team would be easier to back in the playoffs, but it is unlikely we will see Boston at full strength come April.
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