Lofty Expectations Raise Celtics’ Intensity During Training Camp

There is no denying that the Boston Celtics are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history but coming up short in their hunt for Banner No. 18 in recent years has both the organization and its fans frustrated.

The Celtics have appeared in five of the last seven Eastern Conference Finals, coming out on top just once in 2022, only to fall to the Golden State Warriors in the Final that year.

The goal this year, same as the last seven, is to win the NBA championship and with an overhauled roster, the Celtics are co-favorites to win the title with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Celtics legend Paul Pierce was a member of the 2008 squad that raised the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after defeating their bitter rivals the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, so he knows exactly what the expectations are in the city of Boston.

“It’s the intensity and these guys are coming in with high expectations, and they understand that,” Pierce told MassLive’s Souichi Terada. “So you can see it and how guys are getting here early. I mean, the practices are intense, you can see how hard they’re going, not as much talking as our team. We had a loud team. You can just see it in the habit — before, during and after you see guys getting extra shots up in the room. You can just feel it in the air.”

There have been questions circling about whether or not Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the right duo to lead the Celtics to their 18th championship since they have failed in their quest thus far, but Boston’s head coach Joe Mazzulla has acknowledged the growth and determination they both have to achieve the goal.

The Celtics didn’t just change the roster, the coaching staff added several pieces including 2008 NBA champion Sam Cassell. Tatum

“The energy level,” Tatum told Terada of what has stood out in practice. “We’ve got a lot of new coaches, but I think the commitment to paying attention. Guys are in here at 7:30 in the morning, having two-a-days the last two days. Guys are in great shape, playing the right way, competing hard. You can tell guys really worked on their game this summer.”

The Celtics will have their first game action on Sunday when they host the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden for preseason play. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.