Previewing The 2024-25 Boston Celtics
September 25th, 2024
by Alan Lu
The Boston Celtics had a tremendous season that culminated in them winning the 2024 NBA championship over the Dallas Mavericks. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both had sterling seasons, as Brown was dominant in the NBA Finals, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White really excelled as their team’s top defenders, and Kristaps Porzingis gave them a new, dynamic dimension on offense when healthy. The Celtics did a great job of making plays, winning, and playing team basketball, and they were able to win their 18th championship in franchise history. In addition, head coach Joe Mazzulla leveled up and became an elite coach by managing to win a title in his second season as a head coach in the NBA.
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Jayson Tatum leads an elite group of players on the Boston Celtics, as they will look to repeat as champs for the 2024-25 NBA season. (Photo: Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images, via The Ringer)
Star Players:
F Jayson Tatum, F Jaylen Brown, C Kristaps Porziņģis,G Jrue Holiday,and G Derrick White
Jayson Tatum is one of the best players in the NBA. He is a tremendously skilled forward that can really score the basketball, and he is an elite superstar that helped his team win the 2024 NBA championship. Brown is a superstar forward that plays well on both sides of the ball, and he really put forth a masterful performance in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Kristaps Porzingis is a really skilled big man and is a former All-Star, but has been injury prone, but he was terrific when he was healthy. Also, Jrue Holiday is a very solid point guard that can make plays efficiently, and he is a tremendous defender that can lock up either backcourt position. Derrick White also is a very sound, efficient playmaking guard that has a knack for making very good plays, as he is a very good shooter, facilitator, and defender.
Additions:
G-F Baylor Scheierman and G Lonnie Walker IV
Baylor Scheierman is a very skilled swingman that can shoot and pass the basketball, and he had a very good season for Creighton last year. While minutes may be hard to come by on a loaded Boston team, Scheierman could make an immediate impact right away for them. Lonnie Walker IV is on an Exhibit-10, but he is a talented shot maker that could give the Celtics an instant scorer off the bench.
Subtractions:
F Oshae Brissett and G-F Svi Mykhailiuk
The Boston Celtics lost a pair of players that played sparingly on last year’s team, but all of the important players on the Celtics will be returning for the upcoming season.
Rookies:
G-F Baylor Scheierman, F Anton Watson, and F Tristan Enaruna
The Celtics have some rookies that will contend for playing time this season, as Watson and Enaruna are energetic, 3 and D combo forwards, and Baylor Scheierman is a smart, savvy versatile swingman that projects to excel offensively in this league.
Expected Rotation:
The Boston Celtics have a strong group, and they could be poised to repeat as champions in 2025.
(Photo: Elsa/Getty Images, via Celtics Wire – USA Today)
Projected Starting Lineup:
The Celtics have a tremendous starting lineup that can really dominate when all of the players are fully healthy. Tatum and Brown are a really good forward tandem, as both players do everything well, and Porzingis is a very skilled, athletic center that can score, protect the rim, and has a dynamic offensive game, especially for a 7-3 center. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are terrific defensive guards, and both provide sound shooting and playmaking skills for their team.
Key Bench Players:
Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard are part of a very skilled and deep Boston Celtics’ bench that will help them significantly for the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season. (Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe)
The Celtics have a slew of solid role players that could make up a solid rotation. Al Horford is a savvy, veteran big man that has a variety of skills, and he can start or come off the bench. Payton Pritchard is an athletic, playmaking point guard that can run the team, make clutch shots, and can make some surprisingly athletic plays, and Sam Hauser is a sharpshooting forward that can consistently make shots from deep. Xavier Tillman is a versatile big man that came up big in the postseason last year, and Luke Kornet is a very efficient, backup center that plays well within his role.
F-C Al Horford
The Rest of the Roster:
G-F Jaden Springer
F Anton Watson (Two-Way)
G JD Davison (Two-Way)
F Drew Peterson (Two-Way)
Others In Camp:
G Lonnie Walker IV (Exhibit 10)
F Tristan Enaruna (Exhibit 10)
G-F Ron Harper Jr. (Exhibit 10)
Head Coach:
Joe Mazzulla did a great job of coaching his team last season as he won his first NBA championship as an NBA head coach, which may make Mazzulla currently the best head coach in the game right now.
(Photo: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images, via Boston.com)
Joe Mazzulla
2023-24 (BOS): 64-18, 16-3 in the playoffs, won the NBA championship
Coaching Career: 121-43, 27-12 in the NBA Playoffs, 1 NBA title with the 2024 Boston Celtics
Joe Mazzulla did a tremendous job of coaching his team in both the regular season and the playoffs, which culminated in the Boston Celtics winning the NBA championship in 2024. They really excelled on both ends of the floor, and Mazzulla played a big role in their team’s success last season, and he will help them continue to be successful this season.
NBA Head Coach Rank: 1
Outlook:
Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics are the front runners to win the 2025 NBA championship this season. (Photo: Charles Krupa/Associated Press, via WABE)
The 2024 Boston Celtics won convincingly, and they were dominant in the 2024 postseason. They also boast having a very talented and deep roster, led by superstar forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they also have a dynamic scoring center in Kristaps Porzingis, as well as Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, both of whom are very strong defensive guards. In addition, they have Al Horford, a poised veteran big man with a solid set of all-around skills that can enable him to start or come off the bench, as well as a crew of other solid role players on their team. As they have the deepest, most talented team in the league, the Celtics should be poised to repeat as NBA champions in 2025.
Projected 2024-25 Finish:
Expected Win-Loss Record: 58-24
Projected Regular Season Finish: 1st in the Eastern Conference
Expected Playoff Finish: Projected to be the 2025 NBA Champions
Preseason NBA Power Ranking: 1
I went to Basketball-Reference and SalarySwish to look up some information for this write-up. It will be an exciting basketball season this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the season will unfold. Anyways, that is my write-up on my preview of the 2024-25 Boston Celtics. Thanks for reading.