DEDHAM, Mass. -- Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was asked Tuesday to size up the Eastern Conference for the upcoming 2014-15 season and pegged Cleveland, Chicago, and Washington as the three top squads.

"You left out the Celtics," a reporter noted.

Responded Ainge: "I did. Good observation there. But I do believe the extraordinary is possible."

Ainge went on to suggest that the playoffs were not an unreasonable goal for a Boston team that won just 25 games last season during coach Brad Stevens' first year at the helm. But Ainge hesitated to set specific goals for his team, particularly before the team gathers next week for training camp.

"I don’t want to set those parameters," said Ainge. "I know [predictions] will be big headlines and all of that. Listen, what the players and coaching staff believe together is what really matters. I don’t want to set limitations on them or set higher expectations, so I’ll reserve expectations until I see training camp and exhibition and see how our guys are."

The Celtics made only minor alterations to their roster this offseason, but optimism stems from a healthier Rajon Rondo and the potential advancement from a young core. Alas, Boston's inability to add proven talent this offseason tempers expectations as the team patiently navigates a rebuilding process.

"It’s challenging because there’s always things that you think you might be able to do to get a tiny bit better, but our goals are much bigger than that," said Ainge. "We want to hang banners in Boston. Ultimately, that’s what drives all of our decisions."

With the offseason essentially in the rearview mirror, did Ainge emerge satisfied from the summer?

"I don’t know about that. I feel like there were things that we wanted to do that we weren’t able to do," he admitted. "There were some things that were tempting that we didn’t do that I’m very glad we didn’t do. I like that we were able to get some things accomplished, although we weren’t able to get a big big deal accomplished, like we wanted to. But I’m excited about our two young guys [Marcus Smart and James Young] that we drafted and I’m very happy that we’ve got Avery [Bradley] coming back. I really like our young core."

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck famously suggested the potential for "fireworks" this offseason, but Boston was never quite able to light any wicks. He said he trusts that Ainge will navigate this process with the best interest of the long-term future in mind.

"I expected a lot of activity and phone calls and possibilities. We got all of those," said Grousbeck. "We didn’t consummate the major deal that I would have welcomed, to be honest. But we’ve got a lot of assets. And I like how we used our first-round picks. I’m not claiming to be the basketball guy, but what I see, just from my standpoint, is Young and Smart both look like they can really add something to this team."

Pressed on his desire for a "major deal," Grousbeck referenced the additions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett preceding Boston's 2008 title run.

"I guess I always welcome a major deal in a sense because that’s what happened in 2007 and I have fond memories," said Grousbeck. "It’s not going to be easy to rebuild. I think we’re on that path. I think we’re going to be better this year than last year. That’s my hope. That’s my expectation. But we’ll have to let it play out."

Despite a roster that's still logjammed at certain positions and lingering weaknesses that weren't fully addressed, Stevens is eager to see what's possible this season.

"I really like what we’ve added," said Stevens. "I like the fact that we can improve individually with the guys that were here. I’m a big believer that this is a game of small details that really add up at the end. Hopefully we can be better in all those other things with the people that were here and hopefully the new guys add to our collective ability to win. I think that’s obviously the goal."

And Grousbeck has particular confidence in the team's second-year coach.

"[Stevens] wants to be a great NBA coach," said Grousbeck. "I think he’s a very high-quality guy and a very, very good coach. I think he wants to make this a huge success here. He’s been there all summer. He’s very fired up."