Over a century ago, newspaper chief Horace Greeley urged Americans to “go West, young man.” Over 150 years later, it is instead an old man who is going West. Here’s a bold prediction: LeBron James is going to the Lakers. And probably Paul George. And maybe Kawhi Leonard, too.

And although some Celtics fans worry that the crossing of these three stars could interfere in our pursuit of Banner 18, here’s why Celtics fans should actually rejoice at the notion of a Lakers superteam:

1. The West: This dynamic will play out like does a crowded primary election in which candidates beat up on each other for months, only to walk into the general election wounded as a candidate. 3/4 of the superteams now reside in the Western Conference, where they will so often play and therefore adapt to each other. They will be so busy fighting each other, you see, that they will forget about us and our roster.

2. The East: LeBron’s journey out West and not to an Eastern Conference team like the 76ers will all but guarantee the Celtics’ smooth and steady stroll into the NBA Finals for the foreseeable future.

Here’s an actually bold prediction: the Celtics will beat the Warriors in game 7 of the 2019 NBA Finals.