Whether you’re optimistic about this upcoming Boston Celtics season or it seems like you will never feel the same way you did when the C’s won the championship two seasons ago, it’s time to let my favorite sports team control my emotions for the next six-plus months.

I will still wear the Kelly green, white and gold accessories, attend a few home games, and listen to Drew Carter and Brian Scalabrine call games on NBC Sports Boston. But my expectations for the season are low, and all Celtics fans should understand that this season likely won’t end in another victory parade.

No reason to get excited

There are many here among us who feel the Celtics will either crumble or prosper. With star forward Jayson Tatum recovering from a torn Achilles until at least the spring, the Celtics will rely on their other star, shooting guard Jaylen Brown, and company to facilitate the offense. 

There is no rush to bring Tatum back. He is progressing rather quickly in his recovery, already dribbling and moving around the court just five months after his injury. Even if he does feel 100% come March or April, the Celtics have no need to put him back on the parquet as they aren’t considered contenders this year.

That hurt to write, but it’s true. The roster looks completely different than it did two seasons ago — the team’s leader in scoring might miss the entire season because of injury, and if another star player goes down during the season, there is not enough depth to stay afloat.

The Celtics did have an 8-2 record during the regular season when Tatum didn’t play, but we all remember what happened in the blowout Game 6 loss of the Eastern Conference semifinals last year. Boston will have to learn how to play without its main source of offense.

It’s not a typical situation for Joe Mazzulla

There are too many choices and too many unpredictable outcomes for this team, but one thing is for certain: Joe Mazzulla’s coaching abilities will be tested. 

Almost every NBA analyst is wondering how good the Celtics will be this season. I’m concerned with how Mazzulla can coach a team whose potential starting five may feature Brown and guard Derrick White as the only two returners from the 2024 NBA Finals starting five. 

Will Mazzulla mix up the offense? Will he rely less on the three-pointer? In four preseason games, the Celtics attempted 53, 38, 45 and 52 three-pointers, respectively, an average of 47 per night. They averaged around 48 three-pointers attempted per game last season. Unless Mazzulla is playing mind games, it’s safe to say “Mazzulla ball” isn’t going away that easily.

But it doesn’t mean the Celtics will make those shots. In each of these four preseason games, the Celtics shot below 29%, yet they only lost one game and by two points. The numbers aren’t encouraging, and defense will still be a key to back up poor shooting nights. But if this poor volume shooting trickles into the regular season, it might be time for Mazzulla to try another offensive approach.

My center is gone

Kristaps Porziņģis, the Celtics’ big man and “Lanky Latvian” as I’ve called him, was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in the offseason. As much as I hated to see him go, it made sense from a financial standpoint, considering he only played half of last season due to injury.

But his 7-foot-2-inch frame and defensive presence will be missed, and with the departures of Al Horford and Luke Kornet as well, the Celtics lack experience inside the paint.

So who steps up defensively? Boston added Luka Garza (6-feet-10-inches), Chris Boucher and Josh Minott (both 6-feet-8-inches) and drafted a 6-foot-11-inch forward from University of Kentucky in Amari Williams to help down low. Center Neemias Queta will see a rise in minutes as the tallest player on the active roster at 7 feet.

Despite a couple of wacky possessions during the Celtics versus Cavaliers preseason game and a few times against the Raptors, the C’s were able to create second-chance opportunities on offensive rebounding. It was an encouraging metric and one that I hope continues throughout the season.

White’s nine blocks in three preseason games were also encouraging but not a surprise. White has always embodied the heart of a Celtic, one that has reminded me over and over again of Marcus Smart. And with the Celtics trading away Jrue Holiday, a veteran with defensive expertise, for Anfernee Simons, a ball handler who can create space and isn’t afraid to shoot, it’ll be interesting to see how the pieces fit.

Team awards and predicted record

With multiple newcomers mixed with established veterans, I can see a case made for any Celtic to take any one of these awards. Before we know what will happen and my predictions become irrelevant by December, let’s predict the unknown with some team awards.

MVP — Jaylen Brown

There are a lot of ifs. If he stays healthy, facilitates at a high rate and doesn’t overly shoot the ball when the better option is to create for his team, Brown is my MVP. He increased his assists per game by two last season in games he played without Tatum, without losing his scoring. He has the ability to step that up even further this season and lead his team.

Projected average statline: 23 PPG, 6 REB, 6 AST

Best Defensive Player — Derrick White

It could be Simons here, or Garza, or even Queta holding down the paint. But like I said, White has that mentality, and in a defense where guards are able to fly into passing lanes and clog drivers to the paint, White is the guy to do it in both blocks and steals.

Projected average statline: 18 PPG, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1.5 STL, 1.5 BLK

Sixth Man — Payton Pritchard

Easy pick here if Simons is in the starting lineup next to White and Brown. Either Simons or Payton Pritchard could take this award, but Pritchard coming off the bench makes sense here. I see an elevated role for him though, and with Mazzulla running 12-man rotations due to the depth of the roster, it’s likely Pritchard won’t see the starting lineup as much as Simons. However, when Tatum was not in the lineup, Pritchard averaged 19 points in 10 games, up from his 13.6 in 70 games played with Tatum.

Projected average statline: 16 PPG, 3.5 REB, 3 AST

Best Rookie — Hugo Gonzalez

The Celtics’ first-round draft pick this year looks nothing but promising to me. I expect him to see a lot of court time as a shooting guard and for Mazzulla to give him a lot of developmental opportunities. He played 14 or more minutes in each preseason game, more than any other rookie, showing he has the trust to make an impact this year.

Projected average statline: 4.5 PPG, 3.5 REB, 2 AST

NBA All-Stars — Jaylen Brown, Derrick White

White can and should be an All-Star this season, given the team’s circumstances. If he makes that defensive impact and shows the league he is still a lethal shooter and shot creator, I believe he will have that honor.

Projected final record: 42-40, eighth in the Eastern Conference

An easy start to the season, a midseason slump and an even end, I predict the Celtics to have a mediocre season in terms of record to at least earn themselves a play-in spot. I see them emerging from the play-in as the established No. 8 seed but not going much further, losing in five games to the top-seeded Cavaliers.