Depending on how you look at things, first-year Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is either set up for an epic success, or at risk for a big letdown given the expectations baked into helming a team with two established All-Stars and designs on deep postseason runs. Co/elNv4OkeVb

– The Celtics Wire October 18, 2021

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Herring leads the charge for Udoka:

“The first-time head coach takes over a Boston club that could be primed for a solid bounce-back season, one that with better health could easily go from being a slightly below-average unit on defense last season to a top-five one this year.”

“There’s plenty of talk around the Hawks, Bulls and Knicks potentially moving up in the East,” he adds. Co/RI8qm5awUp

– The Celtics Wire October 19, 2021

“Boston went through what seemed to be a season from hell in 2020-21, in which injury, COVID-19 absences, and a thinned rotation resulted in a 36-36 record,” opines SI’s Michael Shapiro. Co/0XSC68UGNZ

– The Celtics Wire October 19, 2021

One of the more narrative-driven awards out there, Coach of the Year might conceivably go to the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers or Brooklyn Nets if Doc Rivers or Steve Nash respectively can convert their current chaos into a title.