Boston Celtics 2024-25 NBA season preview: 19 storylines to follow
BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics will enjoy a banner night at TD Garden Tuesday, which will officially close the book on last season's title run. Once that 18th banner joins the other 17 in the Garden rafters, the Celtics will then get to work on adding another to the franchise's collection next October.
The Celtics have been in a Banner 19 frame of mind since getting over their hangovers from that awesome victory parade through Boston back in June. Just about everyone is back for another title run, with 15 of the 17 players -- including their top nine rotation players -- back from the championship roster.
The quest for another title will begin after the banner party with a clash with the New York Knicks, one of the many teams in the NBA that made big moves this offseason to try to beat the Celtics. Will the Celtics repeat? How many games will they win along the way? Will their players and coach get some love from award voters at the end of the season?
Those are just some of the storylines we'll be following throughout the year. Here are 19 storylines to follow as the Celtics look to go back-to-back as NBA champs.
Any championship hangover for the Celtics?
While the Celtics celebrated plenty in the offseason, their focus is now completely on this season and winning another title. Players know that winning one championship isn't enough to really cement your place in Celtics history.
Tatum and Brown can rise up the ranks and put themselves in the conversation of many other Celtics greats with another title (or two or three). That duo now knows what it takes to get it done, and given all the criticism they received after rolling through last year's postseason, they have plenty of motivation to help along the way this year.
Expect the Celtics to pick up right where they left off to start the 2024-25 season. And if they don't, Joe Mazzulla will be there to snap them back into place. Fast starts has been a hallmark of his Celtics teams, with Boston going 18-4 in October/November in 2022-23 and 14-4 in the season's opening months last year.
Has Jayson Tatum fixed his deep shot?
Tatum's 3-point shot was off during the playoffs, as the C's star shot just 29.8 percent (56-for-188) from deep in the postseason. Then he went out and missed 16 straight shots for Team USA (which spanned between exhibition play and real games) and was benched by Steve Kerr for two games in Paris.
Tatum worked with trainer Drew Hanlen over the offseason to fix the mechanics of his shot, and appeared to be getting his deep bids off quicker in the preseason. He sank 14 of his 36 threes during exhibition play, and was incredibly consistent with at least three threes in all four of his preseason appearances.
The regular season and playoffs are much different from the preseason, but it looks like Tatum has found his deep shot again.
Will Jaylen Brown get some All-NBA love?
Despite his all-around season last year, Brown did not make an All-NBA team, falling 20 points shy of a Third Team berth. He also didn't make an All-Defensive team, another snub that gave Brown some added motivation during Boston's playoff run.
He responded to that lack of recognition by going out and winning a title, earning MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals, and MVP of the NBA Finals. All three of those will give Brown a lot more clout heading into this season.
Brown has improved every year he's been in the league, and spent the offseason bulking up even more and working on becoming a better playmaker for others. Expect Brown to get All-NBA recognition at season's end.
Will Jaylen Brown break a backboard this season?
Brown has been sending down some ridiculous dunks the last few years. He's now even bigger than he was last year.
Hopefully floor crews around the league have a spare backboard ready for when Brown comes to town.
Will the Holiday-White backcourt continue to lock it down on defense?
That's an easy one: Yes. Of course they will. Holiday is the C's defensive quarterback and White makes whatever play the team needs in a given situation, whether it's a steal, a block, drawing a charge or pestering a guy with the ball.
But will they both earn All-NBA Defensive team honors? That might not happen.
White will probably land on his second straight All-Defensive team after earning Second Team honors last season. But given Holiday's age (34) and all the basketball he played last summer with Boston's title run and the Paris Olympics, he's probably going to be one of the veterans that sees his minutes decrease this season. That could mean he goes without All-Defensive accolades for the first time in four years.
Will Joe Mazzulla be named Coach of the Year?
Mazzulla finished fourth in Coach of the Year voting last year, and was hurt by Boston's incredible talent and depth on the roster. That will likely work against him again this season, but Mazzulla winning a title brings a lot of sway for a coach. If the Celtics are once again the best team in the NBA, Mazzulla should get a little more recognition as one of the best coaches in the NBA.
Really, we just want him to win it so he can deliver a grand "Nobody cares" when presented with the award.
What will take the cake as the best "Joe Quote" this year?
You don't need me to tell you that Mazzullla is one unique fella. He says what he feels and he always has an interesting way of delivering his message. If he's not quoting The Town, he's drawing inspiration from the animal kingdom.
He's delivered some real bangers at the podium, and we're bound to get a killer Mazzullaism before, during, or after Tuesday night's opener.
What will be his best line of the season? So far, the leader in the clubhouse came from his interview with John Karalis on his Locked on Celtics podcast.
"People are gonna say the target is on our back, but I hope it's right on our forehead in between our eyes. I hope I can see the red dot," said Mazzulla.
He also had a great line on Monday when asked about the pressure he feels from the Boston media.
Never change, Joe. Never change.
Will the Celtics set a new record for most 3-pointers made in a season?
The three-ball rules the NBA now, and the Celtics are no strangers to letting it fly from downtown. Boston made 1,351 threes last season, which sits as the second-most in NBA history. Only the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors made more threes with 1,363.
Mazzulla will see that stat and take it personally. Don't be surprised when the 2024-25 Celtics overtake those Warriors atop the NBA record books. They may even do it before April.
Which non-star will emerge to make a big impact?
We saw Payton Pritchard make some incredibly deep shots during the playoffs, and Sam Hauser added some solid defense to his game to become a true 3-and-D guy. Both will have key roles on the 2024-25 team.
But Boston big men will have a lot of opportunities to make their mark early in the season with Kristaps Porzingis set to miss a good chunk of the year. The Celtics are going rely heavily on Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman for a lot of meaningful minutes to start the season, and both should be able to answer the call.
Neither will bring what Porzingis adds to the Celtics, but Kornet is incredibly solid and plays well within Boston's system. Tillman worked on his 3-point shot during the offseason and should continue to be a bruiser on defense.
Both players took less money to return to Boston, because why would you leave this Celtics team? Both will be given the opportunity to shine early, and both should provide some important insurance once Porzingis gets back.
If Tillman starts knocking down threes while also continuing to play his tough brand of defense, it won't take long for him to become a fan favorite in Boston.
How many half-court shots will Payton Pritchard hit this season?
We don't know how many he'll hit, but we'll see when they're coming. You can just feel that energy building in the air, whether you're at the Garden or watching from home.
And when they fall, fans are going to go bananas -- even if those deep makes don't come in a potential title-clinching game.
Can the C's still manage Horford's workload without Porzingis?
As long as Kornet and Tillman play well and Neemias Quieta gives the team some serviceable minutes, the Celtics should be able to give the 38-year-old Horford his share of nights off even without Porzingis. Horford has shown that age is just a number, but it's much more important to have a rested Al for the summer than the start of the season.
Will Jordan Walsh crack the lineup?
This is not an easy lineup to crack, but Jordan Walsh may have earned some early minutes with a strong preseason. The 20-year-old took some big steps during the exhibition slate with some solid shooting, energetic drives to the rim, and some tenacity on defense. Walsh left Mazzulla impressed with his ability to get his teammates involved and could be in line for a bench role with the Celtics.
The 2023 second-round pick spent most of his rookie season in Maine and played just 83 minutes for Boston. We could see him take over the role that Oshae Brissett played last season, which wasn't a big one but would be a nice promotion for Walsh.
How many points will Tatum, Brown score against the Warriors?
Steve Kerr is really going to hear it from Celtics fans when the Warriors come to down on Nov. 6. And then he's going to feel the wrath from Tatum, whom he benched twice in the Olympics, and Brown for leaving him off the Team USA roster all together.
The Celtics know that it takes a team to win it all, but that Wednesday night in November will see Boston's two stars settling a score. Don't be surprised to see Tatum and Brown combine for 100 points in a blowout win that evening.
Who is going to buy the Boston Celtics?
That's a great question that has no answer right now. But we should potentially have some idea of the next owner sometime in the near future, which hopefully won't create too much of a distraction for the team on the floor.
Really, all this comes down to is whether or not the new owner is willing to pay a massive luxury tax bill, and whether they'll let Brad Stevens continue to cook.
Will Brad Stevens make a move at the trade deadline?
This team is loaded thanks to Stevens' hard work, so barring a catastrophic injury, the Celtics shouldn't have to add much (if anything) at the deadline. But Stevens may look to trade away someone at the back end of the depth chart as a way to trim that massive luxury tax bill that will be coming the team's way next year. (The new owner would probably appreciate that too.)
Jaden Springer is only making $4 million, but will cost the Celtics around $7 million with the added luxury tax fee. We haven't seen too much of Springer on the floor since Boston acquired him from the 76ers at last year's deadline, so that's a hefty price tag to pay for someone who isn't a regular in the rotation. Given the amount of talent on the Celtics roster, Springer could find himself on the move to a team that has the time and space for a project.
Will the Celtics add an NBA Cup to their collection?
The Celtics bowed out in the inaugural In-Season Tournament before teams went to Las Vegas, losing to the Pacers to tip off the knockout round. This year, they're in Group C with the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, and Chicago Bulls.
Does winning the NBA Cup really matter? Not really. But the Celtics should win it this season, because we expect them to win everything this season. Just don't raise a banner -- those are reserved for real titles.
Will the Celtics hit 60 wins again?
Reaching that 60-win mark is a pretty big deal. After winning 64 games during the regular season last year, the Celtics appear poised to hit that number again.
Not having Porzingis won't help their cause, but the C's were 21-4 without him last regular season. They enter this season with an over/under of 58.5 wins in most sports books.
Should the Celtics hit 60-plus wins again this season, it will be just the fourth time in team history and the first time since the 2007-08 and 2008-09 Celtics that they've hit that mark in back-to-back seasons.
Who will be the biggest threat for the Celtics to repeat?
In the East, the Knicks and 76ers loaded up over the offseason to compete against Boston. New York traded for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, while Philadelphia added Paul George to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
The Knicks appeared to be a legit threat to Boston last season thanks to an MVP-like performance from Jalen Brunson, but they ran out of steam and had suffered too many injuries by the time the postseason arrived. That tends to happen to Tom Thibodeau teams. They'll look to buck that trend with their own pretty loaded roster this season.
Health is (and always will be) the biggest question with the 76ers. IF Embiid and George are healthy come the playoffs, then they could probably make some noise. But we'll wait to see if that IF is a reality this summer.
While Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks are seemingly on the downturn, the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers are both trending up. You can even throw the Orlando Magic into that mix. But none of those teams are near the level of the Celtics right now. They might steal a regular season game or two from Boston, but chances are that will go away in a best-of-seven playoff series.
In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a huge threat to Boston's repeat bid. After winning 57 games last season, the Thunder added Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein in the offseason. They may have a young roster led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holgrem, but OKC is very much in win-now mode.
The Nuggets, Mavs, and Timberwolves round out the Western Conference favorites. There is a lot of talent in the West, but the Celtics would only have to face one of those teams.
Will the Celtics go back-to-back?
It certainly seems like it. All that hate and doubt they received during (and after) last year's playoff run is just more fuel for their fire. And that fire is burning pretty hot on its own.
Brown's Team USA snub and Tatum's benching also gave the team's two stars some bonus motivation. But the Celtics shouldn't need too much outside motivation. Repeating as champs is a big deal, something that hasn't been done in the NBA since the Warriors went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019. The Celtics haven't had repeat champions since the days of Bill Russell, who led the team to back-to-back titles in 1968 and 1969 as a player-coach.
Winning multiple championships puts players in rare air in the NBA. But winning back-to-back titles is a sure way to basketball immortality.
