The Start of the Regular Season Can't Get Here Soon Enough for the Celtics

The Ime Udoka drama plus injuries cast a dimmer light on the Celtics' offseason. But that talk will soon be a thing of the past as the C's get fired up for the season opener next week vs Philly.

The Boston Celtics will continue to be peppered with questions about their head coach Ime Udoka, suspended for the season because he violated team policies after becoming involved with a female Celtics employee.

And the questions for the players about the team's interim head coach Joe Mazzulla, will keep coming as well.

But those inquiries will soon be baked into what really matters this time of year - the games that are played.

The Celtics kick off their season in earnest on Tuesday when they host the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that has dealt with its share of drama within the last couple of years.

None of the off-the-floor drama will matter as much, not when there are games to be played and a title to be claimed.

That more than anything else, has to be the Boston Celtics' focus at this point. To hear Tatum talk about how last season ended (two wins short of an NBA title) gives you a sense that whatever he may lack as a player, focus is not going to be on the list this season.

While Tatum hasn't significantly added a particular skill to his game every season, we have seen a steady physical growth that will allow him to be a more physical player as time passes.

And with an impressive arsenal of shot-making traits, a physically stronger Tatum only makes the Celtics a bigger threat in the East.

As you examine the Celtics roster, it's clear they are built for a long postseason run even with Danilo Gallinari (knee) likely out for most of the season and Robert Williams III (knee) taking to the floor no earlier than sometime in December.

Of course, the path toward postseason success won't be easy.

The Milwaukee Bucks were good last season, and have a roster that’s just as talented that will once again be led by two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Brooklyn Nets should send a thank-you card to Ime Udoka and the Celtics for taking a lot of the offseason attention off of them all their drama centered around Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, the Nets front office and of course, ownership. Miami doesn’t look as strong as the Heat did a year ago, but as long as Erick Spoelstra is coaching that team, the Heat can never be counted out.

And then there’s Philadelphia which has been good but not good enough to do much damage in the postseason. You have to wonder if Joel Embiid has another MVP-like season under his belt, and will his supporting cast step up enough to get the Sixers past the second round of the playoffs.

Cleveland and Toronto are both good teams that are well-coached and will benefit from the ups and downs of last season which should make them a more mentally tough team this season.

While all of these teams present different challenges and raise questions as to whether the Celtics are built well enough to handle them. Considering the Green Team’s offseason and all the drama that came with it, they’re more than happy to take on these basketball-related questions compared to the ones they dealt with during training camp.