The current version of the Boston Celtics, basically built by the team's former Head Honcho, Danny Ainge, was expected to be good this season, and it is. The Green, with a 9-3 record (.750) sit in second place in the East and are tied with the Trail Blazers for the third spot in the League.
The real irony is the positioning of the Utah Jazz, currently in "rebuild status" after Ainge went back out West to join them. The quotation marks surround "rebuild status" for Utah since they are currently in second place (behind the Bucks) in the NBA standings - with a 10-3 record. This wasn't supposed to happen, and my thinking is that this is a surprise, even to Danny himself.
When with Boston, Ainge worked a major trade with the Brooklyn Nets that ultimately brought Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to Beantown. If this pair is not the top duo in the NBA right now, they may soon be.
But once in Utah, CEO Ainge traded Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell for a slew of players and a wealth of future draft picks. The expectation (and perhaps the hope) was that the Jazz would tank and gather more, hopefully higher-end, draft picks.
Well, that hasn't happened. Not yet. The Jazz, with former Celtics assistant, Will Hardy, now in as head coach, are on a roll. That could change, but right now, one former build (Celtics) and one present rebuild (Jazz) occupy two of the League's top spots in the standings.
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