With the 2024-25 NBA season on the horizon, one of the biggest questions is who will win the NBA Championship. The Boston Celtics are the reigning champions after a dominant 64-win season and a 16-3 playoff run. There hasn’t been a repeat champion since the 2017-2018 Golden State Warriors. However, the Celtics are poised to break that trend let’s explore why.
3 Reasons Why the Celtics Will Repeat as NBA Champions
The Most Talented and Proven Team
During the offseason, the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Oklahoma City Thunder made significant upgrades. However, the Celtics are still the league’s most talented and proven team they are notably the odds-on title favorites. The starting five of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kristaps Porzingis remain the best in the league. Four of these players have made All-Stars teams in their careers, and White garnered All-Star buzz last season. While he’s past his prime, Al Horford is a five-time All-Star and is a high-quality sixth man who will play a vital role with Porzingis sidelined to start the season. No other team has this level of All-Star talent. The Celtics role players are All-Star level players, which is a testament to their overall talent.
The 76ers have three All-Stars with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George, however, their fourth or fifth options aren’t comparable to the Celtics. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are the Knicks only All-Stars. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are elite role players but are slightly worse than Holiday, White, and Porzingis. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the OKC’s lone All-Star. While Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are rising stars, and the Thunder have several elite role players, OKC’s lack of experience is a massive drawback. The Timberwolves are the other team with three All-Stars: Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle. Minnesota is talented and deep, but the Gobert-Randle frontcourt needs to prove themselves.
Additionally, the Celtics are the only core that has proven they are capable of winning a championship. After a dominant 16-3 playoff run and bringing a nearly identical roster back, it’s hard to make a case against the Celtics. The Celtics playoff experience and on-court chemistry will work to their advantage. The only other intact core with a title is the Denver Nuggets. However, the loss of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, paired with their already low three-point volume, makes a title run challenging for Denver. Ultimately, the Celtics check the most boxes from a talent and playoff resume standpoint.
Elite Stats
The Celtics’ elite balance has been central to their success. Last season, they joined the 2015 and 2017 Golden State Warriors as the only NBA champions to have a top-three offense and defense. Impressively, the Celtics have five all-defensive level players while having an incredibly high-powered offense. This level of balance allows the Celtics to win in multiple ways and makes them an impossible matchup. Since Boston kept their core intact, they will likely be able to have a top-three offense and defense once again. While the Thunder and Knicks moved closer to the Celtics two-way balance this offseason, it’s unlikely they can fully match Boston’s balance.
The Celtics’ elite three-point shooting has also been central to their success and identity. Last season, Boston led the league in both three-point frequency and three-pointers made. The Celtics run a five-out style of offense that allows them to dominate the game at a historic level. Notably, the Celtics had the fifth-best point differential and were tied for the third-best net rating of all-time. No team in the league can compete with the Celtics volume and elite level of shooting. Uniquely, everyone in the Celtics’ top-eight rotation can shoot threes. This five-out spacing, along with open shots that Tatum and Brown generate on drive-and-kick plays, make the Celtics an unstoppable offense. From both a statistical and X’s-and-O’s perspective, it’s hard to pick against the Celtics.
Highest Net Rating NBA history:
’96 Bulls: +13.4
’97 Bulls: +12.0
’17 Warriors: +11.6
’24 Celtics: +11.6A lot of parity talk about the NBA while BOS tied for the 3rd highest net rating of all time & went 16-3 with a +8.3 net rating in the playoffs. DOMINANT season, full stop. pic.twitter.com/GKcQe0BcC8
— NBA University (@NBA_University) August 26, 2024
The History of Repeat Champions
Since the ABA-NBA merger, seven out of the nine repeat champions won 60-plus games in their first season. The lone exceptions were the 1993-94 Houston Rockets and the 2011-12 Miami Heat. The Heat posted a 46-20 record in a lockout-shortened season however, they won 66 in the following season and were one of the most talented ever assembled. Many people mention that there hasn’t been a repeat champion since 2018, and notably, none of these teams have made it past the second round. However, none of these champions have won 60-plus games. By every statistical measure, the Celtics are the most complete and dominant team since the Stephen Curry–Kevin Durant Warriors. Ultimately, the Celtics winning 64 games and their overall dominance last season bodes well for Boston’s title defense.
The Last Word
While many teams have significant roster upgrades, everything is aligned for the Celtics to repeat as champions. Boston’s elite talent, proven track record, dominance, and the history of repeat champions make it challenging to make a case against the Celtics. Overall, as long as the Celtics stay healthy they should be well-positioned to win back-to-back NBA Championships.
