The Boston Celtics will not defend their title and go back-to-back this year — their season is done after losing to the Knicks in six games.

For most of the season, the Celtics have been battling injuries since the tail end of their championship run from last season. Kristaps Porzingis suffered a leg injury in the finals against the Mavs after missing most of the playoffs last year. Then he had an internal illness when he did come back, and was never fully 100%. An on top of that, Jayson Tatum is recovering from a torn achilles. The starting five didn’t have much games together, let alone at full strength.

So that leaves the question: Now what?

Well with new ownership and an expensive roster already, it’s like that someone’s leaving from this team in the offseason. After winning an NBA title and winning most games this regular season, stocks have gone up. Payton Pritchard won Sixth Man of the Year, and at one point he wanted to be traded because he felt his role wasn’t big enough. Jrue Holiday helped a second team win a title. Derrick White has played at an all-star caliber the past four seasons. Jaylen Brown and Tatum are staying with their huge contracts. It’s not likely all of them are staying.

Front court rearranging?

If I had to bet my bottom dollar, I’d think Porzingis would be the first to go. He’s just too unreliable in seeing whether he’ll see the floor. The guy is tough, but injuries has always been a major concern. Plus, Luke Kornet and Al Horford will be free agents. Big Al made it clear he intends on continuing to play in the NBA, it’ll be interesting to see if the Celtics are willing to pay for the vet. It’s not the back court that I’m overly concerned about, it’s who will protect the paint next season?

We saw how much of a difference the Karl-Anthony Towns trade made in the eastern semis series. With no Porzingis at full strength, there wasn’t anyone stopping KAT. Plus, with the defense spread out, the C’s were vulnerable when the ball got to moving around. Hopefully the Celtics will be able to pick up a good and athletic big in the offseason who can knock down jumpers.

With how the eastern conference is, the C’s are likely to be a playoff team, but getting past the Knicks, Pacers, and Cavs is a puzzle they’ll look to solve this offseason.

Legacy?

I just don’t want the Celtics to enter the Milwaukee Bucks phase: they won a championship, and kept getting knocked out early in the playoffs. Trading for vets, new head coaches, and disgruntled stars. We don’t want that in the upcoming seasons. These next two seasons for Brown and Tatum will be crucial to their legacy and whether they stay together for the long run.

As far as Joe Mazzulla, though I doubt he thinks about it much, more eyes will be on him moving forward. The 3-point shooting that helped them win a championship and go through the league, has seemed to hurt them down the stretch. Although I still believe it to be effective, Boston fans don’t care about that. We want results.