We are more than midway through this NBA season. The Boston Celtics have had an exceptional season with a record of 41-16 and have the third best overall record in the league behind teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers (47-10) and Oklahoma City Thunder (46-11). Last year at the midpoint the Celtics were 44-12 and were NBA Champions. Even though their record got worse, I believe that this Celtics team can win another championship this year.
1- Star Players
The Boston Celtics this year are led by a top three player in Jayson Tatum ( 26 years old) and his co-star Jaylen Brown (28 years old) making the best duo in the league. Both of these guys are both currently in their prime. They have already made a bunch of All Star games, All-NBA teams and were crowned NBA Champions last June. I’m most impressed this year by Tatums game. Tatum this year has been able to play the game the way the defense allows him to. If Tatum isn’t able to score the ball he doesn’t get down and helps his teammates play better by being a great passer and a distraction on the court. Brown is also excellent for this team. If Tatum is struggling to score the ball then Brown is a great scorer and defender. He is also able to take over any game.
2- Role Players
The front office also did a great job surrounding their two stars with elite role players this season and the last year which has pushed them to the top of the league. Some big names are Kristaps Porzingis, a 7 foot center that can score on all three levels and can be an effective shot blocker. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White who make the NBA’s best defensive backcourt duo and also are excellent scorers. Honorable mention to Payton Pritchard who is one of the best bench players in the league and the spark plug of the team when they are struggling to make shots. These players as a collective unit work together to make three point shots and play elite defense so the star players can have space to shine.
3- Front Office and Coaching
The Celtics have an exceptional staff in the league. General Manager Brad Stevens is the main reason why this roster is so exponential. He traded for White, Porzingus and Holiday and was also responsible for the progression of Tatum and Brown and all the other players on the roster when he used to coach the Celtics back in 2021. Brad Stevens also hired some great head coaches to replace his job position. Ime Udoka coached the Celtics to their first finals appearance since 2009 back in 2022 and got fired for reasons that I can’t share. He also hired Joe Mazzulla in 2023 who coached this team to their first championship since 2008 and is still the current head coach today.
Photo from a Celtics 2023-24 play-in tournament game, taken by Cam Currier.
Prediction
I think the Celtics will stay the second seed for the rest of the season this year behind Cleveland. The road to the Celtics championship is going to be harder this year, like having to play talented teams like New York,Cleveland and also a talented team in the West if they make it to the finals. Despite these challenges I still think that this Boston Celtics team can attain their spot at the top of the league because they are ranked number five in defense because of their ability to stop the team’s best player on offense. Because of their elite defense they also have an elite offense which ranks fourth best in the league because of their ability to score anywhere on the court and oppose mismatches. The coaches of this team have done an excellent job coaching this group of players to work together well and to be the championship team that I think they are.
