Joey Motroni
The Boston Celtics finished the 2024 regular season with a staggering record 64-18, but their dominance didn’t stop there. Joe Mazzuala’s team went into the postseason as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics led by their star dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown rolled through the playoffs with a record of 16-3 securing their 18th NBA Championship in franchise history after taking down Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks in five games. With the majority of the championship core returning for 24-25 season Boston has a strong chance to repeat as champions and earn a record-setting 19th banner.
Some Extra Motivation
Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum should be playing with a little extra conviction heading into the 24-25 season. Jayson Tatum came away with a gold medal from his participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics Games along with his fellow Celtic teammate Derrick White, but the experience did not come without controversy. USA Olympic Men’s Basketball head coach Steve Kerr kept Jayson Tatum out of the lineup for two of USA’s six Olympic games. In his limited action Tatum averaged 5.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.3 APG. Tatum will have more opportunities ahead to make an impact at the international level as throughout the Olympic Games Jayson was playing behind both Kevin Durant and LeBron James, who put together stellar performances themselves during the entire competition.
As for Jaylen Brown, he was left off the Olympic roster entirely, which was a surprise decision by managing director of USA Basketball, Grant Hill in the eyes of most fans. Brown finished the regular season with Boston accumulating 23 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 3.6 APG, while at 49.9% clip from the field. Expect Brown playing with a little extra fuel heading into the upcoming season.
Key Offseason Moves
With the exceptionally talented roster that Boston had last season, Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens found ways not only to keep the core of the team together, but also make improvements where he could.
Lonnie Walker IV: Boston inked the former Nets guard to 1-year deal with hopes of Walker adding even more depth to an already second unit. Walker has shown great ability to score on the drive to the basket while keeping a pass to teammates a viable option as well. Walker finished this past season averaging almost 10 points while shooting at 42.3% mark from the field, and 38.4% from beyond the arc.
Sam Hauser: Hauser fit into the role of sharpshooter off the bench for Boston very nicely a season ago. In July of this past offseason Hauser and the Celtics agreed to a four-year $45 million contract extension. The hope for Boston should be that Hauser is able to continue flourishing in his current role for the rest of this contract. The former Virginia product finished the postseason shooting 42.9% from the field, and 38% from three-point range.
Boston got its season underway with a preseason matchup against the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi, followed by four more preseason games before Boston officially begins its title defense. The Celtics regular season begins with an intriguing matchup against Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks on October 22. New York is bound to be some of Boston’s tougher competition in the Eastern Conference as Tatum, Brown, and company prepare for a chance to repeat as NBA Champions.
