Ramp to Camp: Predicting the 2024-25 Celtics’ Midseason Headlines

Ramp to Camp: Predicting the 2024-25 Celtics’ Midseason Headlines originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

We spent most of our time Slope to camp series that examines the biggest headlines as the Boston Celtics prepare to defend their 2024 title. But what kind of headlines can we expect later in the season?

For the 13th episode of our preseason series, we asked our NBC Sports Boston panel to fast-forward to 2025 All-Star weekend and make a prediction about the big story surrounding the Celtics midseason.

(Check out our complete Ramp to Camp series here.)

If you go back to February 2024, the Celtics sailed into the All-Star break with a 43-12 record after a 50-point blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets. The headline on our podcast during a visit to Indianapolis for All-Star weekend read: “Tatum, Celtics are the talk of the town at All-Star weekend.”

Will the Celtics still dominate the league in February 2025?

We generally try to avoid repeating our panel predictions directly, but one of our respondents got our first choice of headlines almost exactly right. So here it is:

Are These Celtics Even Better Than The 2024 Championship Team?

I expect the 2024-25 C’s to finish with four fewer wins than last season’s team, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them be even more dominant in their quest to repeat. Since I don’t expect any juicy trade rumors, I think the conversation around the team will mainly focus on their chances of winning a second consecutive title.

When our panel made predictions in this series, we noted how much we loved the 2008-09 Celtics as a comparison for this year’s team. Both teams found chemistry right away, were relentlessly motivated by winning, and held banners aloft in their first season together. But what often gets forgotten is how good that 2008-09 team was, even though it returned nearly its entire title-winning core (sans James Posey).

Even if you think the East is better, there’s a real opportunity for the 2024-25 Celtics to hit the ground running based on their chemistry and continuity. As the Knicks figure out how to integrate Mikal Bridges and the 76ers flesh out their own new Big Three with the addition of Guerschon Yabusele (er, we mean Paul George), the Celtics shouldn’t need such an acclimation period.

Boston hadn’t quite hit the gas pedal halfway through last season. It’s easy to forget given their lopsided lead in the East at the end of the season, but the Celtics led Cleveland by just 5.5 games in mid-February.

If the Celtics can continue their success without Kristaps Porzingis to start the season and his return provides a boost, we think there will be an awful lot of excitement about how well this team performed over the 18-month period from opener 2023 through the All-Star break in 2025.

Maybe complacency will set in. Maybe more injuries will happen. But if this team stays healthy and focused, it certainly feels like there’s no reason to slow down their dominant behavior. This team is so deep and so good.

Here are the rest of the storylines our panel came up with:

Should the Celtics just keep Kristaps Porzingis until the playoffs?

The only thing that matters is June, and they can get there without him. As he proved in the Finals, even a taste of Playoff Porzingis puts them over the top. What a luxury.

Tom Giles, Multi-platform host

The Celtics are back to full strength and are once again the team to beat in the NBA.

I know Porzingis could be back much sooner, but if they’re willing to take their time with the big man, he could get them peaking before halftime.

Are the Celtics deep enough to repeat the season without Porzingis?

In an ideal world, Porzingis would be back by Christmas and Boston would be off to a flying start. But there’s also a chance Porzingis could suffer a setback that would throw his postseason availability into doubt. The Celtics went 10-2 in the 2024 playoffs without their star player; can they do it again?

The Celtics appear ready for a repeat.

I don’t think the Celtics will take their foot off the gas pedal in the regular season. This team sounds motivated heading into 2024-25. Whether it’s the drama of the Olympics or the challenge of being the first team to repeat since 2018, this group should be locked in all year. It would be surprising if the C’s aren’t leading the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break.

Kevin Miller, VP, Content

The Celtics are still in the top half of the East, but are on the rise with Kristaps Porzingis returning in early January and looking great.

The team quickly got back into the swing of things, getting bigger than expected contributions from the bench, particularly Payton Pritchard, Xavier Tillman and Lonnie Walker IV.