Alot depends on the development of Brown/Tatum as well as how Kyrie/hayward come back.
If tatum/Brown take significant jumps again(which I think they will) those two guys have flashed all-star potential last year...
You will have a team that can rival the warriors and I think match up pretty well.
I think this is the reason behind so many optimistic outlooks. After the great playoffs, a lot of us can't help but dream about the growth we'll see next year from Brown and Tatum.
Whether they'll admit it or not, I think a lot of us (including myself) have these subconscious expectations about the level of play we'll see from everybody, but especially Brown/Tatum.
Tatum will turn into Giannis next season, while Brown will turn into Jimmy Butler. And Hayward and Irving return to their peaks, and Horford stays the same.
Realistic? Reasonable? Probably not. In the back of my mind as a possibility I can't help fantasizing about? Absolutely.
But even with minimal growth from Brown and Tatum, I'd still be excited about this upcoming season.
Anything short of the Finals will be a failure. Anything short of a championship will be a disappointment. Banner 18 feels so close. Hopefully it all comes together like we all hope it will (growth, chemistry, health, etc.).