We’ve spent most of our Ramp to Camp series examining the big headlines as the Boston Celtics prepare to open defense of their 2024 title. But what kind of headlines might we see later in the season?
For the 13th installment in our preseason series, we asked our NBC Sports Boston panel to fast forward to 2025 All-Star weekend and predict a big-picture storyline surrounding the Celtics at the midseason mark.
(Check out our full Ramp to Camp series here.)
If you rewind to February 2024, the Celtics sailed into the All-Star break with a 43-12 record after a 50-point blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets. The headline from our podcast during a visit to All-Star weekend in Indianapolis read: “Tatum, Celtics are the talk of the town at All-Star weekend.”
Will the Celtics still be dominating the league conversation in February 2025?
We usually try to steer clear of directly repeating any of our panel predictions, but one of our respondents pretty much nailed our initial choice of headlines. So we’ll just tee him up here:
Are these Celtics even better than the 2024 championship squad?
I have the 2024-25 C’s finishing with four fewer wins than last season’s team but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re even more dominant on their quest for a repeat. Since I don’t anticipate any juicy trade rumors, I think the talk around the team will mostly be about their chances of winning a second straight title.
When our panel did record predications in this series, we noted how we love the 2008-09 Celtics as a comp for this year’s team. Both teams found immediate chemistry, were relentlessly motivated by winning, and raised banners in their first season together. But what’s often forgotten is just how good that 2008-09 team was while bringing back nearly the entire title core (sans James Posey).
Even if you think the East is better, there’s a real opportunity for the 2024-25 Celtics to hit the ground running based on their chemistry and continuity. While the Knicks are figuring out how to integrate Mikal Bridges, and the 76ers work out a new Big Three of their own with the addition of Guerschon Yabusele (errr, we mean Paul George), the Celtics should need no such acclimation period.
Boston hadn’t fully jumped on the accelerator by the midseason mark last season. It’s easy to forget given their lopsided lead in the East by season’s end, but the Celtics were only up 5.5 games on Cleveland in mid-February.
If the Celtics maintain their success without Kristaps Porzingis to open the season, then get a jolt from his return, we think there could be an incredible amount of buzz about just how good this team has been in the 18-month span from 2023 tipoff to 2025 All-Star break.
Maybe complacency kicks in. Maybe more injuries happen. But if this team stays healthy and focused, it sure feels like there’s no reason their dominant ways should ease up. This team is that deep and that good.
Here are the rest of the storylines our panel came up with:
Should the Celtics just hold out Kristaps Porzingis until the playoffs?
All that matters is June, and they can get there without him. As he proved in the Finals, even a taste of Playoff Porzingis puts them over the top. What a luxury.
Tom Giles, Multi-platform host
Back to full strength, the Celtics once again are the NBA’s team to beat.
I know Porzingis could be back much earlier, but in the event that they want to take their time with the big man, he could have them peaking heading into the break.
Are the Celtics deep enough to repeat without Porzingis?
In an ideal world, Porzingis is back by Christmas and Boston is off and running. But there’s also a chance Porzingis has a setback that puts his postseason availability in question. The Celtics went 10-2 in the 2024 playoffs without their star big man; can they do it again?
Phil Perry, Chris Forsberg and Michael Hurley offer their reaction to the news that Kristaps Porzingis is expected to miss 5-6 months after his ankle surgery.
The Celtics look primed to repeat.
I don’t see the Celtics taking their foot off the gas in the regular season. This team sounds motivated heading into 2024-25. Whether it’s the Olympic drama or the challenge of being the first team to repeat since 2018, this group should be locked in throughout the year. It would be surprising if the C’s aren’t leading the Eastern Conference standings at the All-Star break.
Kevin Miller, VP, Content
The Celtics remain in top half of the East but are on a surge as Kristaps Porzingis makes his return in early January and looked great.
The team wastes no time in gelling again and are getting more than expected contributions from the bench, especially Payton Pritchard, Xavier Tillman, and Lonnie Walker IV.