The Boston Celtics nearly won the NBA title this past season and they should be a force in online betting next season with many of the same pieces in place. The Celtics lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals and some believed they would not bring back the same core for next season in NBA Internet betting but all signs point to the same key players for Boston next year.
Online betting odds will be greatly impacted by free agency and that could put the Celtics behind some other teams in the Eastern Conference but that would be no different than it was last year. The Celtics were not expected to reach the NBA Finals but Orlando and Cleveland underperformed and the Celtics took advantage. The Celtics are expecting head coach Doc Rivers to return next season and his presence probably means the entire core of players will remain the same. Rivers has one more year left on his contract and he informed the Celtics he is coming back.
Boston forward Paul Pierce has said that he will opt out of his contract with the Celtics but most experts still believe he will be back. The Celtics are expected to sign Pierce to a contract extension so they are not too concerned about him becoming a free agent. The team is also looking at bringing back Ray Allen who is also a free agent. The decisions for Boston involve the reserve players. Boston has to decide what to do with Tony Allen, Shelden Williams, Marquis Daniels, Nate Robinson and Brian Scalabrine.
While the Celtics are expected to re-sign Pierce, there are reports that the All-Star forward will listen to offers. He may end up being disappointed in what he finds. Pierce is still a very good player but he is not among the league’s elite anymore. He is 32-years old and many people believe his best days are behind him. The Celtics expect that Pierce will end up coming back to them. Teams would have to offer Pierce a ton of money and considering his age that seems unlikely. The core of the Celtics should remain the same and that means Boston will be a contender next season vs. the NBA Internet betting odds.