Coming off a historic run to earn Banner 18, the Boston Celtics are under pressure and the stakes are high for the Boston Celtics to run it back and become a repeat champion for the first time since 1968–69.
The regular season is approaching and Banner 18 will be immortalized at the Celtics’ season opener at TD Garden on Oct. 22. After what was described as a “cakewalk” of a championship run, does Boston have what it takes to secure Banner 19?
In short, yes.
There has been a foolish narrative about how Boston was destined to win the Finals because they weren’t sufficiently battle-tested last season and therefore, they won’t be back-to-back champs.
Contrary to popular belief, however, the Celtics did not have the easiest path to the NBA Finals. But even if they endured more challenges in the postseason, they still would have come out on top.
Sure, Boston cruised to the championship and they never played more than five games in a playoff series. They completed a gentleman’s sweep against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers in the first two rounds and swept the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The C’s brought the Larry O’Brien to Boston in just five games in their final display of dominance against the Dallas Mavericks. However, that should not be attributed to luck or ease. It has more to do with the Celtics’ talent and depth.
Boston finished last season with a 64-18 regular season record, a 14 game advantage over the No. 2 New York Knicks. Regardless of Eastern Conference playoff injuries including the Celtics’ public enemy No. 1, the Heat’s Jimmy Butler, Boston was levels above the rest of the NBA.
The 2023–24 Celtics are regarded as one of the best NBA teams of all time. Their final record of regular season and playoff wins was 80-21, the 13th best in NBA history. They also set a record by winning 19 games by 25 or more points. Most significantly, Boston scored 122.2 points per 100 possessions—the most efficient offense in NBA history. Each of the Celtics’ regular starters, Tatum, Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porziņģis averaged at least 12 points per game, and the team’s average final score was 120.6.
Boston’s ability to win clutch games, meaning the game is within five points in the last five minutes, has also improved over the past several seasons. During the 2021–22 season, they won 42% of clutch games, vs. during 2023–24, they won nearly 70%, including a perfect 6-0 in the playoffs.
And this momentum will likely continue.
Most of last season’s squad is returning, besides Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk. During the offseason, Boston added former Brooklyn Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV and No. 30 draft pick guard Baylor Scheierman to the roster. Boston has the superstars, the role players, a deep bench, and a poised head coach.
Veteran center Al Horford is the only Celtic who isn’t signed through next season. In July, power forward Jayson Tatum agreed to a five-year, $314 million contract, and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown signed a similar deal one year prior.
Realistically, who’s stopping Boston?
Two Eastern Conference rivals improved their rosters during the offseason. The Philadelphia 76ers picked up Paul George and the Knicks acquired Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. The Celtics will play their season opener against the Knicks, who may be their biggest threat.
To Brown, this means nothing.
“I could care less what’s going on around the league,” Brown said on media day.
And honestly, C’s fans shouldn’t care either. The Knicks aren’t that much better heading into this season. New York lost Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. Towns might objectively be the best player, but the injury-prone big man is 1-4 in his last 5 against Boston. Needless to say, the Knicks aren’t super intimidating, even with a healthy Jalen Brunson and new additions.
Executives across the league seem to agree.
The annual NBA.com survey of all 30 of the league’s general managers saw that 83% of the GMs think Boston will win the title. The only other teams to receive votes were the Oklahoma City Thunder (13%) and the Mavericks, who received a single vote.
The league hasn’t seen a repeat championship in years because the NBA is ever-evolving and the basketball landscape is constantly changing. Players move from team to team at an unprecedented rate, both because they are more free to do so and because of pressures associated with the new collective bargaining agreement. If Boston wins the 2025 title, they will be the first repeat NBA champion since the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
The Celtics have had a promising preseason thus far, beginning with two games against the Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi. Boston took both games—a close 107-103 win and a 130-104 blowout.
On paper, the Celtics are a near perfect team. Their core is returning, and they’re almost entirely healthy, with the exception of Porziņģis, who will be sidelined for the start of the season. That being said, Boston was able to secure the chip largely without Porziņģis, who was day-to-day with a leg injury.
On an optimistic note, it’s hard to come up with reasons why the Celtics might fail this season. In theory, yes, the Boston Celtics will run it back should their core of Tatum, Brown, Holiday, and White stay healthy (fingers crossed).
