Ramp to Camp: Prediction of midseason headlines for 2024-25 Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
We spent most of ours Ramp to Camp series examining the big titles as the Boston Celtics prepare to open defense of their 2024 title. But what kind of titles could we see later in the season?
For the 13th installment in our preseason series, we asked our NBC Sports Boston panel to fast-forward to 2025 All-Star weekend and predict an overarching narrative surrounding the Celtics at the midseason mark.
(Look at ours full Ramp to Camp series here.)
If you go back to February 2024, the Celtics cruised into the All-Star break with a 43-12 record after a 50-point win over the Brooklyn Nets. The title of our podcast during a visit to All-Star weekend in Indianapolis read: “Tatum, the Celtics are the talk of the town on All-Star weekend.”
Will the Celtics still dominate the league conversation in February 2025?
We usually try to avoid directly repeating any of our panel predictions, but one of our respondents pretty much nailed our initial headline selection. So we’ll just throw him in here:
Are these Celtics even better than the 2024 championship squad?
I have the 2024-25 C finishing with four fewer wins than last season’s team but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are even more dominant in their quest for a repeat. Since I don’t anticipate any juicy trade rumors, I think the talk around the team will mostly be about their chances of winning a second straight title.
When our panel recorded sermons in this serieswe noted how much we love the 2008-09 Celtics as compensation for this year’s team. Both teams found instant chemistry, were constantly motivated by winning, and raised banners in their first season together. But what is often forgotten is how good that 2008-09 team was with almost the entire title core (minus James Posey) returning.
Even if you think the East is better, there is a real chance for the 2024-25 Celtics to hit the ground running based on their chemistry and continuity. While the Knicks are figuring out how to integrate Mikal Bridges, and the 76ers are crafting a new Big Three of their own with the addition of Guerschon Yabusele (err, we mean Paul George), the Celtics shouldn’t need such an acclimatization period.
Boston didn’t fully jump on the accelerator before the midseason mark last season. It’s easy to forget given their lopsided lead in the East heading into the season, but the Celtics were only 5.5 games into Cleveland in mid-February.
If the Celtics maintain their success without Kristaps Porzingis to open the season, then get a boost from his return, we think there could be an incredible amount of buzz about how good this team was in the 18-month span from the start of 2023 to 2023 .2025 All-Star break.
Perhaps complacency sets in. Maybe more injuries happen. But if this team stays healthy and focused, it sure feels like there’s no reason for their dominating ways to pick up. This team is so deep and so good.
Here are the rest of the plots our panel came up with:
Should the Celtics just hold out Kristaps Porzingis until the playoffs?
All 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 GilesMulti-platform host
Back to full strength, the Celtics are again the team of the NBA to beat.
I know Porzingis could be back a lot sooner, but in case they want to take their time with the big man, he could have them on top going into the break.
Are the Celtics deep enough to repeat without Porzingis?
In an ideal world, Porzingis returns before Christmas and Boston gets going. But there’s also a chance Porzingis has a setback that calls into question his postseason availability. The Celtics went 10-2 in the 2024 playoffs without their star big man; can they do it again?
The Celtics look poised to repeat.
I don’t see the Celtics taking their foot off the gas in the regular season. This team seems motivated going into 2024-25. Is it about the Olympic drama or the challenge of being the first team to repeat from 2018, this group should be locked in all year. It would be surprising if the C’s aren’t leading the Eastern conferences at the All-Star break.
Kevin Miller, VP, Content
The Celtics remain in the top half of the East but are on the rise as Kristaps Porzingis returns in early January and has looked great.
The team wastes no time in gelling again and gets more than expected contributions from the bench, especially Payton Pritchard, Xavier Tillman, and Lonnie Walker IV.
