Over the summer and into the early fall, there has
been an interesting debate going on around the Boston Celtics.
Effectively, the argument is trifold: In one camp, there is the
argument that the Celtics are just a very good team. Another camp
argues that the dominant 2024 NBA champions are a historically good team. And finally, there is the argument that the Celtics were a lucky team last season, one that has yet to be truly tested.
Of course, in a sense, the arguments are all moot until we see what
happens this season. Some of the statistics from the last campaign do
point to the Celtics being one of the best sides of the modern era –
certainly, their dominant run in the Playoffs suggests as much. Winning
the Eastern Conference by 14 games was also quite the marker of
dominance. Yet, some critics point to weaker opposition and the fact
the Celtics never faced a truly tough test.
That said, we know the Celtics go into the 2024/25 season, which gets
underway on October 23, as strong favorites for a title repeat. It
isn’t going to be easy, as no team has retained the NBA Championship
since the Golden State Warriors in 2018. Indeed, there are arguably
seven teams that have claims of stopping them, at least going by the
latest preseason NBA odds. Let’s look at the candidates below:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Everyone has been aware that they were building
something special in Oklahoma over the last few years, but the pace of
that rebuild caught a few off-guard last season. Oklahoma reached the
Western Conference Semi-Finals, and the Playoff experience will benefit
a young team going into the new season. The addition of Alex Caruso and
Isaiah Hartenstein also creates the consensus that they will be best in
the West.
2. New York Knicks
We deliberated over putting the Knicks or 76ers in
the number two spot, but as many pundits have pointed out, the addition
of Karl-Anthony Towns might put them over the edge. Is it enough to
make up ground on the Celtics? That remains to be seen, but Knicks fans
should be buoyed by what is happening in New York. They have been
getting better every season under Tom Thibodeau, and they look like
they will be better again in 2024/25.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
Here’s a prediction: 2024/25 could be the season of a lifetime for a leaner, possibly meaner,
Joel Embiid. But the 76ers have a a lot of depth around Embiid, and
they were fairly aggressive in the offseason: Paul George and Andre
Drummond look like particularly astute additions. As with the Knicks,
the question of whether it is enough to close the gap remains.
4. Dallas Mavericks
On the betting markets, the Mavs, 76ers, Knicks, and
Timberwolves (see below) are all kind of clumped together, so it’s
clear that experts are having a hard time separating them. Like each
team above them, the Mavericks were already good and have improved
their roster ahead of the new season. Kyrie Irving’s fitness will be an
interesting aspect of their season once again.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are perhaps the first team on this
list about whom some pundits are whispering might be worse than last
season. Towns' departure is a big reason for that. You get the feeling
the Timberwolves are in for a “what if” season. And the big what if is
whether Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert can get their acts together in
the Playoffs.
6. Denver Nuggets
The champions from two seasons ago retain the core
that made them great. Perhaps the main question is whether the Nuggets
can be more than just a Nikola Jokic team. The Serbian is great enough
to keep the Nuggets in the mix, but he can’t do it all himself. Michael
Malone’s strategy around Russell Westbrook will have to pay off for
them to be serious NBA Championship contenders again.
7. Milwaukee Bucks
As with the Nuggets, you can’t rule out a team with
a fit and firing Giannis Antetokounmpo. Throw in Damian Lillard, and
the Bucks start to look formidable. The biggest issue is the health of
Khris Middleton, who had surgery preseason. If Middleton comes back
healthy and quickly finds his feet, then the dynamic duo becomes a trio
and the Bucks get serious.
