After years of buildup and anticipation, the Celtics actually did the dang thing. That 2024 championship was a work of art, and it will forever live on in Celtics lore.
Last year was honestly a strange and confusing one. Much like with the 2008-2010 Celtics, it felt like all the pieces were there to do it again, but it just never materialized. A blend of untimely injuries, predictability on offense, fickle defense and the Knicks uncharacteristically rising to the occasion sent the Celtics packing way earlier than expected.
Then came a brutal few weeks for Celtics fans that felt like a young kid saying goodbye to childhood stuffed animals one by one. The reality of Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear started to truly hit. Jrue Holiday vanished in an instant. Before fans could dwell on that move, Kristaps Porzingis was gone. Then Luke Kornet. Anyone but Kornet.
Change can be hard, especially for a franchise where anything short of a championship is considered a disappointment.
That’s the way it should be. The Celtics are the most successful franchise in the league for a reason. When the Hornets lose a key player, it is what it is (no disrespect); when it happens to the Celtics, it has a ripple effect throughout the league.
OK, well if all these players are gone, surely the Celtics got some elite talent in their prime to replace them. Well, yes, Anfernee Simons is very skilled and a proven player, but what else? Georges Niang? That guy who grabbed Jaylen Brown’s leg? The Minivan? Did you know he’s from Methuen?
Just as Celtics fans tried to convince themselves it could work, Niang was out the door. For…former UMass star and Rick Pitino St. John’s disciple RJ Luis Jr.
It’s inevitable for Celtics fans to have plenty of questions. Brad Stevens has never let the fan base down before, but it’s hard to have full faith in the chess match when you lose your queen, two bishops and a knight right away.
What’s the big idea here? Do I still need to carve out a few nights a week to religiously watch the Celtics? Should I start making social plans instead? If they trade Derrick White, is it too late to cancel my season tickets?
Let’s tackle those one by one. The big idea is that the NBA wants as much parity as possible, and the reality is that commissioner Adam Silver’s plan is working quite well … almost too well. The days of dynasties are over, as no team has repeated since the Warriors in 2017-2018. The Thunder may have something to say about that, but for now, the streak continues.
The Celtics had to take a buzzsaw and chop down the oak tree in the backyard that could have fallen on the house in a bad storm. That dang second apron. The Tatum injury made things infinitely more difficult in one sense, but in another, it made it simpler.
Stevens, Joe Mazzulla and the players will never view this as a “gap year.” The Boston Celtics don’t have gap years. The goal will be, and should be, to compete for a championship. For the fan who thinks that’s a realistic goal, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you that at this second, it’s not. For the fan who thinks they should fold the franchise, I’m here to tell you to take a deep breath and give this team a chance.
If you’re a diehard Celtics fan, yes, you should still carve out time to religiously watch the Celtics. For starters, Brown will finally get the chance to prove he can thrive as the undisputed No. 1 option on a potential playoff team. Yes, White is still in town, and he’s still the ultimate good vibes guy.
Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta are still here. Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and Xavier Tillman will have something to prove in increased roles. Newcomers Chris Boucher, Josh Minott and Luka Garza are serviceable role players who all bring something unique to the roster. Max Shulga, Miles Norris, Hugo González, Amari Williams and Luis Jr. have nothing to lose and an opportunity to see the floor.
The Celtics are set at guard, with White, Pritchard, Simons and Scheierman figuring to see the bulk of the minutes. Forward is a bit more dicey, but Minott will help and Walsh should take a leap. Center is even more dicey, but Queta is underrated, Garza is sneaky skilled offensively and Boucher was a much-needed acquisition.
OK, that’s nice and all, but how many games will they win? Is this a playoff team? Well, I’m pretty confident it will be somewhere in between 35 and 55 (big range, I know). Outside of that, it’s anyone’s guess, and that’s what makes it fun. Sure, it’s a different kind of fun, and you have to convince yourself a bit that it really is fun. It’s like going for a run instead of playing pickup basketball. Ball is way better, but if you go for the run, it’ll help you on the court. It’s all a mind game.
If the roster stays the way it is now, and they stay relatively healthy, I’d guess they finish 43-39, get the No. 6 seed and lose in the first round. When the expectations are lower, each win means more, for better or worse. It would be pretty electric if they snuck into the playoffs, Tatum returned and they made a deep run, but one step at a time.
Regardless of how it all shakes out, I encourage you to reframe your mindset for this year and embrace what this team has to offer. It’ll be a different journey, with new pieces, but it will still have Brown, White and other familiar faces. It will still have the TD Garden crowd, NBC Sports Boston broadcasts, the parquet floor, the jumbotron, the crowds outside the arena on a cold winter night.
This is still Celtics basketball. Sure, the vibes aren’t quite as high as the past few years, but that’s OK. Those Isaiah Thomas teams pleasantly surprised us all, and this team has a chance to do the same.
Enjoy the next few months of peace and quiet, because the season will be here before you know it. Then it’s time to lock in, sit on the couch and jolt up when Pritchard hits a 35-footer at the buzzer to end the third quarter on a Wednesday night in November against the Grizzlies.
Reframe your mindset, but keep your passion exactly where it is.
