The Celtics didn’t start the 2019-20 season off in ideal fashion on Wednesday. On top of losing to Al Horford’s Sixers, Enes Kanter injured his knee and is out for at least two games.

But Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty doesn’t seem worried about the state of the C’s.

During his Patriots Friday appearance on Dale & Keefe, the New England captain was asked what he thought of Boston’s basketball team with the NBA season underway.

“I like the Celtics this year. I think you lose a great player like Kyrie but then you add a Kemba Walker — who’s a great player, just not as known because he’s playing down in Charlotte,” McCourty said. “But I think they have (an) opportunity, because of the amount of players they have, to spread the wealth. I think (Robert) Williams will step up big time with Al Horford (gone), from (the) defensive side. I think the Celtics will have a good chance to just be there.”

McCourty took it a step further and assessed the rest of the NBA landscape.

“And I think, this year in the NBA, there’s going to be a lot of teams that need to gel throughout the season, so it’ll be hard to evaluate everybody as soon as the season starts off,” he said. “But I think some of those top-talented will really show themselves towards the end of the year.”

There may be no better proof of McCourty’s larger point than the Rockets allowing the Bucks to pull off a comeback win on Thursday — a game where James Harden went 2-for-13 from the floor (1-for-8 from three).