Anyone read this 538 analysis? I thought it was pretty well done
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/do-the-celtics-have-enough-star-power-to-win-a-title-not-yet/
Essentially breaks players into three categories, called Alpha / Beta / Gamma
Alpha: Top 6/8 in league
Beta: Top 20 Player
Gamma: Top 40 player
For the Celtics, Hayward is a Beta here, and Thomas a Gamma.
If you can get past the categorization, it makes a good case that typically a team needs an Alpha to win the championship, and if not it needs a couple Betas at minimum.
By its system the real contenders are Warriors / Cavs and Rockets.
My heart says that there have been exceptions to this (Pistons being the main one), and if any team is set up to classify as an exception it's the Celts. Still the main points in the article are strong I think.
None of this is all that revealing - Celts need a star, everyone knows that. Obtaining via the draft is Plan A. Competing and being attractive for free agents like Durant Plan B. 2017/18 will be long shots but l better than No Shot.