5 Boston Celtics storylines to follow for the 2021-22 NBA season

#3 Marcus Smart’s play at both ends for the Boston Celtics

Marcus Smart will run the Boston Celtics' offense this season.

Marcus Smart’s tenure as the official point guard of the Boston Celtics did not get off to a good start entering the 2021-22 season. He has been suspended for breaching team policy, and will be ruled out of the team’s preseason finale against the Miami Heat.

The Boston Celtics have high expectations of the longest-tenured Celtic, though, as he is now the team’s primary ball-handler. After seeing the likes of Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker direct the plays in the last few years, Smart could finally get his turn.

The former Oklahoma State point guard had a career-high 5.7 assists last season in 48 games despite injuries. He has managed to dish out better numbers in each of his seven seasons with the Boston Celtics, but never as the main point guard. How he sustains that career number in a full 82-game schedule could play a key role in the Celtics’ playoff run.

With Smart getting more minutes and usage, would he still be the defensive ace the Boston Celtics have had through the years? Directing plays and setting up teammates is an energy-sapping task that could complicate his defensive chores. This is another plot worth keeping an eye on for Celtics fans.

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#2 The health and improvement of Jaylen Brown

The Boston Celtics are counting on a healthy and improved Jaylen Brown to succeed this year.

The jump in Jaylen Brown’s performance last season was quite remarkable, as it helped him get his first All-Star nod. He had career-best numbers across the board that gave the Boston Celtics hope that he'd finally blossom into the talent the front office hopes he’d become.

The 24-year-old tore a ligament in his left wrist that cost him the rest of the regular season and the playoffs last year. However, his importance to the team can’t be over-emphasized, as the Celtics mightily struggled without him. They ended the regular season with an even 36-36 record, and were quickly eliminated by Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets.

An argument could have been made that had Brown been around for the Celtics, the team would have been more competitive against the Nets in the first round of the playoffs. Without Brown, the Celtics were a one-star wonder who had to wait for a Tatum explosion to avoid a sweep.

Jaylen Brown had an impressive preseason opener. He torched the Orlando Magic for 16 first-quarter points to prove he is back and fully recovered. A few days later, he tested positive for COVID-19, though. Boston Celtics fans will surely remember how Tatum’s performance suffered after his bout with the virus.

Although Brown’s injury is on his left wrist, that area is prone to some of the most vicious hits in basketball. How the wrist survives a nightly hit in an 82-game season could mean the difference between another disappointing or successful season for the Boston Celtics.

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#1 Will Jayson Tatum play like a top-5 player?

An MVP-level performance from Jayson Tatum could transform the Celtics to serious contenders.

Jayson Tatum is a scoring machine that causes all sorts of trouble for other teams. Like Jaylen Brown, he posted career-high numbers in different categories last season. It will be his improved ability to manipulate defenses and set up teammates that'll take his game to an MVP level.

His 4.3 APG last season was not enough for someone who touches the ball with almost every team position. The two-time All-Star might never become the passer that Luka Doncic or LeBron James is. But he can certainly improve that part of his repertoire, enabling him to dictate games with his passing.

Ime Udoka stressed before training camp that Tatum and Brown would have to be better playmakers for the Celtics duo to reach the next step in their development. Tatum is going to demand a double team almost every time he touches the ball, so the opportunity to create for his teammates will always be an option.

With a top 5 player in Tatum, a healthy Jaylen Brown reinforced with a suffocating defense, the Boston Celtics could pose a serious threat to come out of a stacked East.