Can the Boston Celtics Win Back-to-Back Titles and Raise Banner 19?
With the conclusion of the 2023-2024 NBA season, the Boston Celtics were crowned champions. Beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games, the Celtics were able to obtain their 18th championship title which is the most in NBA franchise history. The championship window for the Celtics remains very much open and they will look to repeat their success this season after having kept most of their roster intact throughout free agency. Do the Celtics have what it takes to raise banner 19?
The Celtics had a historical 2023-2024 season and did not take their foot off the gas when the offseason began. Throughout this offseason, the Celtics were delighted to hear that Al Horford would return to the team after considering retirement. Boston also was able to extend Derrick White, one of their best players on both sides of the ball. If that wasn’t enough, the Celtics were able to extend their star Jayson Tatum to a five-year extension that will keep him with the team until the 2029-2030 season while also extending bench pieces Xavier Tillman and Luke Kornet. With Jrue Holiday signing a contract extension during the 2023-24 season, it is clear that the Celtics core is here to stay. Additionally, the Celtics were able to add Lonnie Walker IV yesterday to fill their last roster spot. Although it may not seem like much, Walker IV proves to be a great addition to this already championship-ready roster.
Averaging 9.7 points on 38% shooting from three-point range, Lonnie Walker IV adds scoring and athleticism off the bench. These numbers are much better than the likes of Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk who are the only members of the 2023-24 championship team who will not return next season each averaging four points per game or less. Mykhailiuk is no slouch, having shot 38% percent from three as well, but his defense and athleticism left more to be desired. This high shooting percentage however was enough to land Mykhailiuk a four-year 15 million dollar deal with the Utah Jazz. As for Brisset, the Celtics pictured him more as a defensive specialist but relied on him to knock down three-point jumpers while in the game, as the Celtics led the league in three-point attempts per game shooting 42.5 of them last season. This did not translate well for Brissett as he only shot 27% from deep for the season and remains unsigned after opting out of his Celtics contract for the 2024-25 season.
With all of these moves made, who can stop the Celtics from winning back-to-back championships and raising banner 19? With the Celtics ability to keep their championship core intact while also adding stronger bench pieces, there will not be many teams able to compete with the Boston Celtics next season. Injuries will be their biggest challenge, but the Eastern Conference will look a lot more competitive when taking into account the additions that the New York Knicks and Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers made. The New York Knicks addition of Mikal Bridges will throw them into the conversation of Eastern Conference contenders, however, their roster does not yet carry the same star power and depth to compare to Boston. As for Philadelphia, they overpaid for an aging star in Paul George but did make other great moves in order to improve roster depth. With that said, the injury history of George and Joel Embiid in addition to the great Celtics depth leads me to believe the Boston Celtics will make it out of the Eastern Conference. The Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic have made smaller moves as well, however nothing that seems large enough to move the needle in their favor.
Assuming that the Boston Celtics make it out of the East, their title run depends on who they play in the finals. Boston will certainly be favored if they run into a lower seed again like the Mavericks last year, however, there are certainly some teams that Boston should fear. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the first team that comes to mind, as they obtain such a talented young core, have tons of draft capital to use in trades, and are coming off of a first-place position in the Western Conference last season. The Minnesota Timberwolves cannot be overlooked either with their rising star Anthony Edwards. Denver will remain a threat, but their lack of roster depth and their reliance on Nikola Jokic may take them out of the playoffs down the line. Another dark horse in the Western Conference would be the Sacramento Kings after having signed a true third star in DeMar DeRozan. With all these teams in consideration, the Thunder and Timberwolves have the potential to be the biggest threats, however, due to their youth and lack of playoff experience, the Boston Celtics should certainly be the favorites to win the 2024-25 NBA championship and raise their 19th banner in franchise history.
