If you wouldn't mind elaborating, I'd be interested in why you think this highly of Philly. I love Embiid and Simmons, and Saric is no slouch, but they look closer to me to Milwaukee than Boston. Even Milwaukee took the Celtics to seven games last year.
Is Fultz sorting out his jumper enough for you to see them as a legit EC representative, or is it because of their space and theoretical big free agent help?
Next year, you could very well be right but I think that's more of a point of how good we expect the Celtics to be next year (82-0, right?)
With LeBron gone, the Eastern Conference is incredibly weak right now. The Celtics should be a juggernaut but after them, you're left with a bunch of really flawed teams. I view Philly as the next best team in the short-term and will go down the list:
Toronto: Lowry turns 33 in March. He's likely played his best basketball. DeRozan turns 29 so he's probably in the middle of his prime but falls short as a true elite guy in my book. The rest of the roster has useful pieces but is pretty meh. I think they've peaked.
Knicks: Right now, they have an injured Porzingis and some raw guys in Ntilikina and Knox. Things could change drastically next summer if they can poach some FAs but for now, definitely Philly.
Nets: Ha.
Cavs: Get ready for a loooooooong rebuild. They won't be a threat unless they land another LeBron in the draft. Right now, they'll be in mid-to-late lotto hell for the foreseeable future.
Pacers: Nice squad and Oladipo really popped last year but they still only have 1 star. If Myles Turner emerges (I thought he took a step back last year), they may enter the picture but for now, I see this team as having a ceiling of what Philly accomplished last year.
Bucks: Even with the Freak last year, they managed to only win 44 games. This is still a team with 1 great player, one good player in Middleton, and then a whole lot of meh. Where is that 2nd star coming from to elevate them past Philly?
Pistons: This team just screams mediocrity for the next few years before Griffin breaks down physically. Not a threat to Philly.
Bulls: I like the direction they're headed in but I don't see any stars on this roster. Markannen is solid. Carter should be as well. But neither guy gets them close to Philly in the coming years.
Heat: Whole lot of mediocrity on this squad and not a lot of flexibility to do anything about it for a few years. And Philly just got done dismantling them in the playoffs. Not a threat.
Wizards: One of the few teams outside Boston that can match Philly's top 2 but the rest of the roster is a tire fire and they really can't ever get out of their own way. This team is more likely to blow it up than challenge Philly as the #2 to Boston.
Hornets: Another Ha.
Magic: Some nice young pieces but still lacking in star power. Very doubtful they'll approach Philly's current position let alone exceed it.
Hawks: Roster is a disaster. No FAs will sign here. And I think they F'd up on passing on JJJ or Doncic. Not a threat.
So, when you look at all these teams, who are you taking over Philly over the next few years? Maybe Toronto, Milwaukee, or Indiana but that's debatable. When I look at Philly, I see a team with 2 very good foundational players, 2 quality starters in Saric/Covington, some solid developmental prospects, some draft capital, plenty of cap space, a good coach, and Fultz (a real x-factor). I fully expect the Celtics to run the East for the next 3-5 years but I see Philly as their prime competitor. And if they can reel in a 3rd star, I think they'll be right there with us if Embiid stays healthy.