Celtics F Jaylen Brown had no doubts about Boston’s potential this upcoming season when he joined Blazers G C.J. McCollum’s podcast earlier this month.

“Oh, we’re getting to the Finals. No question about it.”

Brown and teammate Jayson Tatum emerged in the playoffs as the Celtics made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference finals without stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. The duo combined for 36.5 points per game and showcased their potential as future stars. After a tough seven-game series with the Bucks, the Celtics dispatched the upstart 76ers with surprising efficiency.

Brown blossomed as a full-time starter in 2017. After an up-and-down rookie season, Brown doubled his scoring average in his sophomore campaign. More importantly, he shot 39.5 percent from three-point range on 4.4 attempts per game, showing off a shooting ability that was lacking in college. If Brown’s shooting holds, he will develop into the two-way star the Celtics envisioned when they drafted him third overall.

Danny Ainge had finally scored the first overall pick in the 2017 draft after a series of trades spanning several years. Conventional logic suggested the Celtics would take point guard Markelle Fultz to eventually replace Isaiah Thomas, who was in line for a big contract after the season.

However, Ainge reportedly valued Tatum as the top prospect in the draft from the start. In another shrewd move, Ainge traded away the top pick to acquire another asset while still ensuring he would be able to select Tatum. The move looks great now with Tatum earning All-Rookie First Team honors while Fultz appeared in just 14 games. Tatum was an immediate starter and was a force offensively. His postseason run bodes well for the Celtics, who can count on him becoming a consistent scorer.

Last year’s Game 7 against the Cavaliers exposed Boston’s biggest weaknesses in the playoffs: a lack of consistent offense and experience in big games. LeBron James put up 35 points, nine assists and 15 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers to a win while Brown and Tatum combined to go 14-35 from the field and finish with 37 points combined. The rest of the team went 15-50.

Despite the bitter ending, Boston has a right to feel confident in 2018. With James out of the Eastern Conference, Brown and the Celtics should be the favorite to reach the Finals.

Boston should get its stars back healthy. Hayward was done five minutes into his Celtics tenure with a gruesome leg injury, but appears to be on track for a full recovery. Irving was ruled out 15 games before the playoffs after two procedures on his knee. He has averaged 23.9 points per game in 52 postseason contests, meaning the Celtics likely won’t experience an offensive meltdown like they did in Game 7 against Cleveland. Both players will immediately relieve the scoring burden from Brown and Tatum.

After signing a four-year, $113 million deal in 2016, Al Horford has been a subject of criticism in the NBA community. Horford’s max deal was dubbed a potential albatross contract in its final seasons, but the versatile big man showed his worth in the playoffs. Horford, who has 111 postseason games under his belt, averaged 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the floor and 35 percent from deep.

Because of Horford’s all-around ability, the Celtics can put five three-point shooters on the floor without sacrificing versatility defensively. An Irving-Brown-Tatum-Hayward-Horford lineup could be among the best in the league. With two-way role players Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart and Semi Ojeleye back in the fold, Boston should be able to maintain its versatility off the bench. The question is whether that lineup has enough firepower to upend Golden State in a hypothetical Finals showdown.

The Celtics still have a treasure trove of draft picks and the expiring contracts of Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes can provide salary filler in a hypothetical trade at the deadline. They can also move on from Smart if they see a potential upgrade and need a larger contract to make the money work. If the Celtics expect to get out of the East — and they do — they’ll likely need to add one more piece to have a realistic chance against Golden State. Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis and C.J. McCollum could be potential targets for Boston if it decides now is the time to cash in draft assets for a shot at the title.

After years of holding on to its picks, Boston finally cashed in some chips to acquire Irving last offseason. The Celtics have set themselves up to rule the East for the foreseeable future.

Will the opportunity to win a title in 2018 push them to make another big move?