Boston Celtics daring predictions after 2024-25 season schedule launch

With the 2024-25 NBA common season approaching, loads of eyes might be on the Boston Celtics. Forward of the Celtics opening evening sport towards the New York Knicks on Oct. 22, we’ll be making our daring predictions for this 12 months.

Boston is coming off the 18th championship in franchise historical past and want to repeat. The Celtics had a robust offseason, re-signing key function gamers and locking up core gamers with contract extensions together with franchise star Jayson Tatum.

Different groups within the Japanese Convention definitely improved with the Philadelphia 76ers including Paul George and the Knicks including Mikal Bridges. However the Celtics saved their championship core collectively and now have the expertise of successful a title.

With that mentioned, it’s time for our Celtics daring predictions for the 2024-25 season

Lonnie Walker IV might be in sixth Man competition with Celtics

When the Celtics signed Lonnie Walker in late August, it was shocking for 2 causes. The primary being {that a} participant of his caliber was nonetheless a free agent that late within the offseason. The second was that no different crew had tried to signal him and allowed the defending champions to choose up a gifted participant.

This daring prediction for the Celtics says that not solely Walker make the crew’s remaining roster, however he’ll turn into their greatest bench participant. He may be within the working for the sixth Man of the 12 months Award. The Celtics have 14 assured contracts on their roster and Walker is preventing for that remaining spot.

Walker was a key participant off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers (2022-23) and Brooklyn Nets (2023-24) the previous two seasons. Final season, he shot 38.4 p.c from the sphere. The previous 4 seasons he’s been a constant double-digit scoring risk. Wanting on the Celtics second unit, he robotically turns into their most gifted reserve.

Once more, that is all predicated on Walker sticking previous coaching camp and preseason. However he’s too gifted for the Celtics to easily let go. He’ll work his approach into Joe Mazzulla’s rotation and it’ll repay in an enormous approach.

Jaylen Brown might be within the MVP dialogue

That is fairly one other sizzling take for the Celtics, however these are known as daring predictions for a purpose. Jaylen Brown is coming off a Finals MVP Award, however he felt a bit slighted this offseason. He was handed over for Workforce USA and he let his emotions be identified.

The Celtics are getting a highly-motivated Brown this season. He’s coming off a playoff run throughout which he averaged 23.9 factors, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 51.6 p.c taking pictures from the sphere, 32.7 p.c taking pictures from the three-point line and 66 p.c taking pictures from the free-throw line.

Brown took some criticism when the Celtics signed him to a pretty big contract extension final offseason, however he’s proved he’s price each cent. A 3-time All-Star, Brown is about to silence any doubters and show that he ought to have been on the Olympics roster.

The Celtics do have one other reliable MVP candidate in Jayson Tatum who completed within the prime six within the MVP voting final season. However search for Tatum to take a slight step apart and watch his teammate ascend among the many NBA’s elite.

The Celtics will repeat as champions fairly simply

It’s not a sizzling take in any respect to counsel that the Celtics will repeat as champions. They’ve the crew and expertise to take action. No one within the NBA world can be shocked if that occurred. What makes this a daring prediction for the Celtics although is that they’ll face no legit competitors en path to successful the franchise’s nineteenth title.

Whereas each the 76ers and Knicks improved, neither crew did sufficient to really cope with the Celtics within the Japanese Convention. They may attain the NBA Finals with ease.

Most NBA followers in all probability anticipate the Celtics hardest risk to return from the Western Convention. Even Tatum believed that to be true as per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. However the crew he talked about, the Denver Nuggets, simply misplaced a serious piece in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder improved. The Dallas Mavericks improved. The Minnesota Timberwolves are one other 12 months older and skilled. However in the long run it received’t matter. The Celtics have tasted championship glory. Tatum additionally has one thing to show after being benched for a lot of the Olympics. When it’s all mentioned and carried out, the Celtics received’t even be examined whereas changing into the primary crew to win back-to-back titles because the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors.