Over the last few years in the NBA, we have seen many different teams rise to the top… and then fall right back down. Last season, for the sixth straight year, a different team won the NBA finals, with no team winning twice in this span. This has only happened one other time in NBA history, back in 1980.
On June 17 2024 the Boston Celtics won their 18th franchise championship in dominant fashion, losing only 3 games in the playoffs on their way to hoisting the trophy. Like every NBA champion, Boston is looking to defend their title. But in an era where winning twice seems impossible, how is this Celtics team different to the others, and can they achieve what no team has in the last 6 years, and become back-to-back champions?
Maintaining the roster: Team culture or owner affluence?
When looking for differences between past NBA champions and the 2024 Boston Celtics, one factor that stands out is the number of players that returned to the team. Many championship rosters often lose at least one impactful player the next season. Just look at the 2023 Denver Nuggets losing Bruce Brown, or the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks losing PJ Tucker. The 2020 Los Angeles Lakers missing Anthony Davis to injury, or the 2022 Golden State Warriors and the collapse of Jordan Poole. In the modern NBA, non-star players are being paid more than ever before, and injuries are at an all-time high. This can make it difficult for championship rosters to maintain their players, resulting in a less complete team.
Having said that, the Boston Celtics of last year managed to keep all their key players, allowing them to build on their already harmonious team chemistry and stay a step ahead of the competition. So, what’s their secret?
In part, this is due to the culture of the team, cultivated by the coaching staff, and the players’ willingness to accept their role. Another part that is often overlooked, however, is the sacrifice made by the owners of the team, who are willing to pay a hefty tax for being over the salary cap (the total amount of money each team can pay their players). In many cases, large market teams like the Celtics are more likely to be able to afford this tax than small market teams. Unfortunately, without an unlikely change to the way the salary cap works, this inherent big market advantage will persevere, and us fans simply have to get lucky enough to support a team whose owners enjoy spending generously.
“Honey, Payton Pritchard hit a buzzer beater again!”
The importance of Payton Pritchard’s improvement cannot be overstated. It would be grossly misinforming if all I said was that he’s the favourite to win 6th Man of The Year.
30 games into the season, Pritchard is averaging 15 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and is first in the NBA among bench players in points, 3-pointers made, and 20-point games. He has also made 108 threes so far, which is third most in the league. To put this into perspective, the most three pointers made in a season by a player coming off the bench belongs to Wayne Ellington in 2017-18. He made 218. At his current rate, Pritchard is on pace to make 295. And as if that isn’t enough, he’s shooting almost 47% from the field (41% from three). All this, while playing on arguably the most talented roster in the league.
Pritchard’s emergence as one of the league’s best shooters would be beneficial to any team. But on the Celtics, who take the most threes in the league, he takes their offense to another level. Arguably his biggest contribution, is reviving a Boston offence that is prone to getting stagnant at times. There is a tangible change in energy when number 11 checks into the game, and this has been enough to turn the tides of games into the Celtics’ favour. If he keeps up this level of play, he will be a big factor in Boston’s success.
An undiminished desire
One of the big basketball story lines over the summer was how Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would come back with a vengeance, after being disrespected at the Paris Olympics. In case you missed it, Jaylen Brown wasn’t selected for Team USA and Jayson Tatum barely played.
But here’s the thing… What brought Boston over the hump last year wasn’t a need to prove themselves. It was the newfound unselfishness of their best players. Under Joe Mazzulla’s first full year as Head Coach, Tatum and Brown developed into true facilitators, unlocking a new level to the Celtics’ offence by committing to making the right play. And this is how they must continue to play if they want to be successful, rather than focusing on individual grudges.
What stands out in their quest to win again is this commitment to playing winning basketball is still there. If anything, the star duo has leaned even more into their ability to generate good shots for their teammates, both averaging career highs in assists this season.
Winning an NBA championship is hard. It means constantly pushing yourself to the limit. It’s no surprise that so many players take their foot off the gas after doing so. But not these Celtics. The way they’re playing this year is evidence enough. They’re just as motivated as they were last year. In part, this drive comes from the Boston history. With more banners in the rafters than some franchises have playoff appearances, this team wasn’t built to win just once. It also comes from the players. They know what it takes to get to the top, and they’re willing to put in the effort to get there. The Olympics just added fuel to the fire.
Big questions remain
There are three big potential obstacles standing in the way of the Celtics’ back-to-back championship goals.
The first should be no surprise to anyone who has followed the league as of late. It’s injuries. With a particular focus on Kristaps Porzingis. The 7’2” centre has a history of being injury prone. He missed most of last year’s playoffs, returning for the finals, just to suffer a rare injury in game 2, requiring him to miss the first month of this season. Since his return, Porzingis is averaging 19 points, 7 rebounds and 2.5 stocks (steals + blocks). In fact, Boston has allowed the lowest opponent field goal percentage within 5 feet from the basket with Porzingis. Without him, they were third last. It’s clear to see what Kristaps Porzingis brings to this Celtics team, and he will need to stay healthy if they want a chance of defending their title.
The second thing to look out for is streaky shooting. Boston shoots more threes than anyone in the league. They also make more threes than anyone in the league. This is an intentional trait and is a large reason why they’re so successful. It’s no surprise however, that when the threes just aren’t falling, the Celtics struggle. Their skilled roster and focus on generating open shots mean this doesn’t happen often, but when it does, we’ve seen Boston lose games in shocking fashion. The real question is whether this type of poor shooting will happen in 4 out of 7 games in the playoffs. We only have to look back at the 2018 Rockets’ 27 straight missed threes in Game 7 to see how quickly a team that relies on shooting can collapse.
Finally, the Celtics are prone to playing lackadaisical defence at times. This seemingly occurs when playing worse teams and could simply be because the players don’t try as hard. Another potential reason may be when the coaching staff has directed the players to focus on something on the offensive end, and they lose concentration defensively. Whatever the reason, it’s a problem. Something to look out for, however, is an increase in defensive intensity, and subsequently rating, come the postseason. It happened last year and is sure to happen again this year. Whether it will be enough of an improvement to keep them competitive remains to be seen.
All eyes will be on Boston when the NBA playoffs kick off in April. Will a new dynasty be formed, or will the era of one-and-done championships persist?
