Boston Celtics were not credited as hyped contenders for NBA championship when the season started everyone was hyped about Milwaukee Bucks after Damian Lillard joined Giannis Antetokounmpo or Phoenix Suns with Bradley Beal joining the KD and Devin Booker. Everyone was sleeping (including me) on Celtics because Tatum and Brown have been playing for years together but they couldn’t pull a championship together in the last two years the team has shown they are elite team by making NBA finals in 2021-2022 season and losing the conference finals in 2022-2023. Celtics were one or two piece short of the puzzle to solve their case for Championship.
Celtics made some off season moves which changed the outlook of their whole team. 1st they acquired the big man Kristaps Porzingis since Al Horford is now past his prime and aged 37 Celtics cant rely on him much. They needed a young Big man to Run the rim affairs. Last season Kristaps Porzingis averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in 32.6 minutes per game with Wizards. He played in 65 games which shows he has been healthy enough to make difference for any contending team. This move is blessing for Porzingis since big man needed a team where he can keep himself healthy and Celtics is the perfect place for him with the likes of Tatum and Browns surrounding him. Now with the addition of Jrue Holiday his work has become more easy.
Celtics were front-runners to land Damian Lillard but they couldn’t pull this move but they manged to get something good out of this deal even when they could not land Dame. They got Jrue Holiday, a reckoned Defensive player, who can uplift the defense of celtics in clutch moments by this grit and grin. Jrue holiday was averaging 19 points 5.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.2 steal per game. He is a tough perimeter defensive guy. Jrue was signed by Bucks from Pelicans because of his defensive skills to get the championship and that move gave them results. After departure of Marcus smart a defensive guy was need of the hour for Celtics.
Now we break how these off season moves are practically playing the part in making Boston Celtics real championship contenders. If we see the start of Celtics campaign for this season it proves how successful these moves are, Porzingis is averaging 19.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. This role was missing from Al Horford end since he was past his prime. Similarly Holiday is averaging 14 points 7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 blocks per game.
Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown both were playing their part according to their game, Tatum with 30 points, 9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and Brown with 26 points 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists respectively in 2022-2023 season. Now along with these numbers when they will get additional help in the form of Length of Porzingis and defensive presence of Holiday this will help them to achieve Championship Goals.
The 5-0 start of Celtics proves that they are the real Championship contenders that whole league, media and fans are sleeping on. They showed how good they are even against their arch rival like Miami heat by beating them and taking the revenge of last year WCF’s.
The Celtics have scored at least 70 points in three consecutive first halves they played against: Nets,Pacers,Wizards
The form that Jayson Tatum is having at the start of season if he continues this he will be a front runner for MVP. Â Jayson Tatum achieved 10,000 points milestone this season in his match up against Nets, He is the youngest ever in Celtics history to achieve this feat.https://x.com/celtics_stats/status/1720968322831757446?s=20 He is averaging 30.2 points , 9 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 5 games.
Last time Boston Celtics won championship in 2008 after that their big win was Conference title in 2022. I think its time for Boston Celtics to give their fans a Championship that they crave to see for so long.
Sajjad ali is a versatile sports writer, is a maestro of the written word in the world of sports. With an in-depth knowledge of NBA, NFL, golf, and various sports, he crafts compelling narratives that captivate readers. His insightful analysis set him apart in the sports journalism arena. A multi-talented storyteller, his work resonates with sports enthusiasts across the globe, making him a go-to source for sporting insights. His passion for diverse sports shines through every line he pens.
It’s Green season, personally I would love to see them win this season. That’s a great piece