Ultra-favorites at the start of the season, the Celtics did better than hold their place. Boston's 2024 title never seemed to be in the slightest doubt, from a perfectly controlled regular season (seven more wins than the league's second record, fourteen more than its runner-up in the East…) to the playoffs in control with at worst only one match per series left on the way. The 18e ring of franchise history on their finger, Joe Mazzulla's men are tackling a major new challenge: achieving the back-to-back. Which is far from being so obvious, even for legendary teams, since the C's have not achieved this since 1969!
Difficult, if not impossible, not to imagine the Celtics in an ideal position to achieve this. After such a demonstration, the workforce remained completely stable, with the main work being the contract extensions of Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and even Sam Hauser. The offseason additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis had the desired effects. And it was almost without the Latvian that Boston made the playoffs, KP becoming a bonus player in an already oversized squad.
This will still be the case for this first half of the year since the interior had foot surgery last June and should not return until 2025. This loss would likely be significant for any franchise. But not these Celtics, with a solid collective, on both sides of the floor. And there seems to be no indication that the trend is changing. After finishing with the highest average of three-pointers attempted and made per game last season, Boston raised the tone again during the preseason with more than 52 attempts behind the arc on average per game and a peak at 61 against Denver!
The start of the regular season should calm this excitement a little, but it says a lot about Joe Mazzulla's ultra-aggressive strategy: try his luck as soon as an open position presents itself and work as hard as possible to create as many as possible. Defensively, the athletic qualities of some and the intelligence of others make the Celtics' five virtually without weakness, even more so when the giant Porzingis can play the last defenses.
It is with these arguments that the Massachusetts franchise intends to reproduce the same domination as in recent months. But it is not for nothing that it is so difficult to win a second title in a row.
SUMMER MOVEMENTS
Arrivals: Ron Harper Jr, Baylor Scheierman, Anton Watson (two-way)
Departures: Oshae Brissett, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
PLAYER TO WATCH: JAYSON TATUM
Leader of the championship team, Jayson Tatum should no longer have to prove much to anyone. Author of another high-flying season, the winger was the spearhead of the Celtics in addition to obtaining a place in the best five of the season for the third season in a row. However, the 26-year-old is perhaps experiencing a founding season in his career, if only for his image.
Because he may be Boston's franchise player, re-signed during the offseason while breaking the bank, he was not the best player in the conference final against Indiana, nor the best player in the final against Dallas, honors went to Jaylen Brown. Then this summer, within the constellation of Team USA stars, he failed to find his place, squatting at the end of the bench or not proving himself essential the rare times he had his chance.
This can remain anecdotal as long as the collective results follow. But if he wants to further cement his place among the big names, and join the cream of the crop, Jayson Tatum seems to still have a milestone to overcome. He must notably do better than his decent playoffs given his pedigree (25 points, but at 42.7%, including 28.3% at three-points). While his team will face the biggest challenge of a reigning champion, namely to do it again and stay at the top, Jayson Tatum will inevitably be closely scrutinized, as he has slightly modified his shooting mechanics.
Average age: 26.9 years
Payroll: $196.6 million (3e)
THE IDEAL SCENARIO
Shall we take the same ones and start again? It may seem a bit simplistic, but with the same ingredients and the now well-established recipe for success, the Celtics are their main rivals for the title when it comes time to kick off the season. Back-to-back is the only goal Boston has in mind and it couldn't be more legitimate. The Jayson Tatum – Jaylen Brown tandem, which for a time raised doubts about the complementarity, has found its cruising speed. He will be operational from the start of the season, and will be put to work without Kristaps Porzingis, just to show directly who is the boss.
The philosophy of winning shots in abundance will have its detractors but with the only Jaylen Brown below 37% success rate last season among the eight main players in the squad, it could still do great damage. Even rookie Baylor Scheierman could be a pleasant surprise, given the quality of his wrist and his five years spent in college before arriving in the NBA. The spine is in full force with age and the thirty-year-olds Jrue Holiday and Al Horford still give full satisfaction. Everything is there to keep his crown at TD Garden.
THE WORST SCENARIO
Signing back-to-back is the prerogative of the very great, the Curry-Durant version of the Warriors, the Miami Heatles or even the Lakers of Shaq and Kobe for the most recent examples.
President of basketball operations Brad Stevens may have assured during the media day that his men “understand that they have a target on their back”, knowing it and mastering it are two very distinct things. The mental and physical commitment to maintain a top level over time is far from easy. And the motivation to sacrifice on a daily basis can end up drying up, especially with the summers experienced by Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, still upset at having been left out of the American selection.
Also pay attention to the management of the period without Kristaps Porzingis, which passed without incident last season, but which depends a lot on the level and health of Al Horford, 38 years old since this summer. The rotation under the circle is a little short, and if the Dominican were to also pull on the rope, Joe Mazzulla would be forced to have to tinker.
These Celtics must in any case take advantage of the present moment, while the franchise is on the verge of being sold. Nothing assures that the next owners will be as inclined to explode the budgetary limits to maintain this group and its depth in the future, especially if the double objective does not succeed.
