[2][3][4][5] During the off-season, the Celtics signed free agent Xavier McDaniel,[6][7][8][9] then later on in December, traded top draft pick Jon Barry out of Georgia Tech University to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Alaa Abdelnaby,[10][11][12] and also re-signed free agent John Bagley, who played for the team the previous season, but was not re-signed during the off-season.
[16][17][18] Despite the bad start, the Celtics would post a 7-game winning streak in January, hold a 26–24 record at the All-Star break,[19] and would then post a nine-game winning streak in March, finishing in second place in the Atlantic Division with a solid 48–34 record (only 3 games behind the previous year, when Bird was on the team).
[20] The Celtics also qualified for the playoffs for the fourteenth consecutive season.
[22] However, McHale would briefly feud with head coach Chris Ford near the end of the season over his lack of playing time, which did not help with causing distractions and lack of focus for the Celtics;[23][24] Ford finished in seventh place in Coach of the Year voting.
[25][26][27] The Celtics held home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs against the 5th-seeded Charlotte Hornets.