Celtics 2023 - 2024 Discussion

[ausbacker]

As we all know, winning a championship is really hard, despite how easy Boston made it look this year. I expect other teams to catch up, and for some of the things that went right for the Celtics this year, including team health (Porzingis aside, but we all kind of expected that), to maybe not go as well.

Boston should still be the favorite to win this year. I'm with you on dreaming big, but as with all things, we'll see.

I'm of a different opinion. The talent disparity between Boston's best 6 and the rest of the league is immense. If Porzingis can stay healthy for the majority of the playoffs and with the pressure to win a championship off the Jays shoulders, this team can play with freedom and go to another level.

Despite his shooting woes in the playoffs, Tatum the playmaker is a massive development for Boston.

 

[Keep Up With The Joneses]

I'm of a different opinion. The talent disparity between Boston's best 6 and the rest of the league is immense. If Porzingis can stay healthy for the majority of the playoffs and with the pressure to win a championship off the Jays shoulders, this team can play with freedom and go to another level.

Despite his shooting woes in the playoffs, Tatum the playmaker is a massive development for Boston.

I agree with all of this, but we've seen before in all sports the most talented team doesn't always win. A lot of other things have to go right.

Porzingis staying healthy would be great, but we know that is not something to hang your hat on.

Tatum is officially beast mode in my book these days. I'm so impressed with how he has developed every aspect of his game.

 

[bresna]

I'm not looking to be a naysayer, but I have less confidence in this team's ability to repeat than some of you. They played some great teams but those teams had some key players sitting on the bench. With the Heat missing Butler & Rozier, the Cavaliers losing Mitchell & the Pacers losing Haliburton, they didn't have to face the other teams' top scorer for a whole series until they played the Mavs. Adding in the injuries to the two bigs in the East (Embiid & Giannis) who could have done some damage with Porzingas out and you're looking at a playoff run that is unlikely to be repeated next year.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm not looking to be a naysayer, but I have less confidence in this team's ability to repeat than some of you. They played some great teams but those teams had some key players sitting on the bench. With the Heat missing Butler & Rozier, the Cavaliers losing Mitchell & the Pacers losing Haliburton, they didn't have to face the other teams' top scorer for a whole series until they played the Mavs. Adding in the injuries to the two bigs in the East (Embiid & Giannis) who could have done some damage with Porzingas out and you're looking at a playoff run that is unlikely to be repeated next year.

Yes but you are not factoring in the "what if" KP playing. We essentially won without him and went 16-3.

The reality is from a games played standpoint, Greek and Embiid are equally durable.

We were the deepest, most talented team 1-15 last year.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I'm not looking to be a naysayer, but I have less confidence in this team's ability to repeat than some of you. They played some great teams but those teams had some key players sitting on the bench. With the Heat missing Butler & Rozier, the Cavaliers losing Mitchell & the Pacers losing Haliburton, they didn't have to face the other teams' top scorer for a whole series until they played the Mavs. Adding in the injuries to the two bigs in the East (Embiid & Giannis) who could have done some damage with Porzingas out and you're looking at a playoff run that is unlikely to be repeated next year.

You might be right but repeating will have nothing to do with Rozier and Butler playing, Mitchell sitting out a few games, or Haliburton being out. So we win after going 16 - 8 instead of 16 - 3. Embiid and Giannis are always going to be hurt as they get older and are needed for lots of playing time, and the 2024 Bucks and the 76ers were not going to beat the Celtics.

I think it can be argued that the Celtics would have had a harder time if a team other than the Mavericks came out of the West. The finals fell into the Celtics' laps and that might not happen again.

 

[RobertWeathers]

You might be right but repeating will have nothing to do with Rozier and Butler playing, Mitchell sitting out a few games, or Haliburton being out. So we win after going 16 - 8 instead of 16 - 3. Embiid and Giannis are always going to be hurt as they get older and are needed for lots of playing time, and the 2024 Milwaukee and the 76ers were not going to beat the Celtics.

I think it can be argued that the Celtics would have had a harder time if a team other than the Mavericks came out of the West. The finals fell into the Celtics' laps and that might not happen again.

Butler is also old. Scary is 30. **** happens to older players. The, "what if they played" argument is such ********. What if KP was 100% and the other players were healthy? To your point maybe the lose 2-3 more games....

 

[ausbacker]

I'm not looking to be a naysayer, but I have less confidence in this team's ability to repeat than some of you. They played some great teams but those teams had some key players sitting on the bench. With the Heat missing Butler & Rozier, the Cavaliers losing Mitchell & the Pacers losing Haliburton, they didn't have to face the other teams' top scorer for a whole series until they played the Mavs. Adding in the injuries to the two bigs in the East (Embiid & Giannis) who could have done some damage with Porzingas out and you're looking at a playoff run that is unlikely to be repeated next year.

Boston won 78% of their regular season games. They won 84% in the playoffs. The team's dominance wasn't a statistical anomaly. All that would have happened is they may have lost an extra game or two, WITHOUT Porzingis playing most of the playoffs.

The Celtics are better than everyone else because they have more talent. They've been consistently knocking on the door for years. This season, they broke through.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

The Celtics are better than everyone else because they have more talent.

PJ Washington agrees with you.

While the West is generally considered the toughest of the two conferences, P.J. Washington says the Celtics are superior to any of the teams they’ve faced in the playoffs. “They’re just better,” he said, per Tim Cato of The Athletic. “At the end of the day, they are better than all the teams we’ve played.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

The only reason I’d be skeptical of the Celtics repeating is that Denver still exists and I hate that matchup. However, Denver losing KCP is absolutely huge. I’d probably pick the Cs in a close series now.

The East has undoubtedly improved and the Celtics will probably need to go through better teams next year, but I think teams like Sixers and Knicks have merely narrowed the gap, not closed it.

Celtics have a good chance to repeat. So much of it boils down to injuries.

 

[borg]

What to watch: The most likely scenario is that Pagliuca tries to cobble together a group that includes some combination of a new deep pocket, a private equity fund, and a sovereign wealth fund.

• Remember, if he and the other minority owners roll over their stakes, they may only need around $1.5 billion. Kind of like how Mat and Justin Ishbia didn't really need $4 billion to buy the Phoenix Suns last year.
• On the deep pocket side, expect both Boston Red Sox owner John Henry and New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft to kick tires (albeit not together).
• Henry's Fenway Sports Group could benefit by adding the Celtics to its regional sports network (NESN), but likely would need to offload an asset to get enough liquidity (goodbye, Liverpool F.C.?).
• Kraft might need to sell some of his forest products company, but he has a penchant for the sort of adoration that would come from keeping the Celtics in local hands.

https://www.axios.com/2024/07/02/boston-celtics-sale-break-records

 

[ausbacker]

What to watch: The most likely scenario is that Pagliuca tries to cobble together a group that includes some combination of a new deep pocket, a private equity fund, and a sovereign wealth fund.

• Remember, if he and the other minority owners roll over their stakes, they may only need around $1.5 billion. Kind of like how Mat and Justin Ishbia didn't really need $4 billion to buy the Phoenix Suns last year.
• On the deep pocket side, expect both Boston Red Sox owner John Henry and New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft to kick tires (albeit not together).
• Henry's Fenway Sports Group could benefit by adding the Celtics to its regional sports network (NESN), but likely would need to offload an asset to get enough liquidity (goodbye, Liverpool F.C.?).
• Kraft might need to sell some of his forest products company, but he has a penchant for the sort of adoration that would come from keeping the Celtics in local hands.

https://www.axios.com/2024/07/02/boston-celtics-sale-break-records

The idea of Kraft or Henry owning the Celtics is enough to make me vomit.

 

[borg]

The idea of Kraft or Henry owning the Celtics is enough to make me vomit.

One's verifiably cheap
The other has evolved into "indifferent"

These traits typically don't translate into success in the NBA

Regardless, zero chance either would pay the exorbitant premium the Celtics will command in a sale.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

One's verifiably cheap
The other has evolved into "indifferent"

These traits typically don't translate into success in the NBA

Regardless, zero chance either would pay the exorbitant premium the Celtics will command in a sale.

Both are cheap. Both have spent at times, but when the water finds its level, both pull back the purse strings.

 

[jimnance]

Both are cheap. Both have spent at times, but when the water finds its level, both pull back the purse strings.

Baloney sammiches. Kraft knows how to dish up the slop

 

[Keep Up With The Joneses]

I'm not looking to be a naysayer, but I have less confidence in this team's ability to repeat than some of you. They played some great teams but those teams had some key players sitting on the bench. With the Heat missing Butler & Rozier, the Cavaliers losing Mitchell & the Pacers losing Haliburton, they didn't have to face the other teams' top scorer for a whole series until they played the Mavs. Adding in the injuries to the two bigs in the East (Embiid & Giannis) who could have done some damage with Porzingas out and you're looking at a playoff run that is unlikely to be repeated next year.

Boston was 13-6 in the regular season vs Miami, Cleveland, Philly, Indy, and Milwaukee.

Except for an early season blowout, Indy played them tough in the regular season, and frankly was the most competitive team Boston faced in the playoffs. One could make an argument they're the team Boston might struggle against next season. That said, I don't think they played significantly worse after Haliburton went down. If KP was healthy in that series it wouldn't have even been close.

 

[1960Pats]

As we all know, winning a championship is really hard, despite how easy Boston made it look this year. I expect other teams to catch up, and for some of the things that went right for the Celtics this year, including team health (Porzingis aside, but we all kind of expected that), to maybe not go as well.

Boston should still be the favorite to win this year. I'm with you on dreaming big, but as with all things, we'll see.

I think it's going to take a while for the rest of the NBA to catch up to the Celts.

 

[1960Pats]

I'm of a different opinion. The talent disparity between Boston's best 6 and the rest of the league is immense. If Porzingis can stay healthy for the majority of the playoffs and with the pressure to win a championship off the Jays shoulders, this team can play with freedom and go to another level.

Despite his shooting woes in the playoffs, Tatum the playmaker is a massive development for Boston.

This team doesn't have to contend with another strong and deep team. They definitely could go on a run.

 

[bresna]

I think it's going to take a while for the rest of the NBA to catch up to the Celts.

I thought the same thing about the 86 Celts.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Celtics aren’t really doing anything revolutionary, just extremely rare. They have a team with 5 great two way players. If you just assign all five starters a Plus, Minus, or Neutral for both offense and defense, the Celtics have 10 Plus ratings. Add to that a handful of these grades are actually elite, not just above average.

Catching up with them is easier said than done. Adding superstars (Suns, Sixers, Bucks) is not always the gain it appears to be. I think the Knicks have done the best job, albeit at a high cost to their future, but the Celtics are still better.

 

[Real fan 02]

I can bet you Steve p.. buys the team... in player news saw Philly released Paul Reed. C's should in on him