The Boston Celtics will start their quest for back-to-back NBA championships Tuesday after they tip off the 2024-25 season towards the visiting New York Knicks.
Boston defeated Dallas in 5 video games to say the 2023-24 championship. The Celtics have not received consecutive titles since 1967-68 and 1968-69.
“We wish to win a championship each single yr — that is the purpose, that is the usual, that is the expectation,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “Simply because one thing labored earlier than doesn’t suggest it is going to work once more. That is the problem.”
The Celtics return their high 11 scorers from final yr’s crew, which had an NBA-best 64-18 file within the common season after which went 16-3 within the playoffs en path to the franchise’s 18th championship.
The Knicks received 50 video games within the common season a yr in the past and earned the No. 2 seed within the Japanese Convention however got here up brief towards Indiana in Recreation 7 of the convention semifinals. New York hasn’t reached the convention finals since 2000 and hasn’t received an NBA championship since 1973.
New York made some vital offseason strikes, one in all which was sending ahead Julius Randle and guard Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota in change for ahead Karl-Anthony Cities. New York additionally acquired Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.
“We will not simply be frightened about one crew,” Cities mentioned. “We have to be frightened about the entire Japanese Convention. To perform what we wish to do, and what town is craving for us to do, we must be a crew not simply that beats Boston, however finds a option to beat each crew within the East.”
Bridges will be a part of Jalen Brunson within the Knicks’ backcourt. Brunson completed fifth in MVP voting final season, when he averaged 28.7 factors per recreation throughout his first All-Star season.
Boston is led by five-time All-Star Jayson Tatum, who averaged 26.9 factors, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 74 video games final season.
New York middle Valuable Achiuwa will not be obtainable Tuesday due to a strained left hamstring. The crew introduced that he can be re-evaluated in two to 4 weeks. Achiuwa was injured throughout Friday’s preseason recreation towards Washington.
New York can even be with out middle Mitchell Robinson, who’s recovering from two ankle surgical procedures he underwent within the final yr. In response to ESPN, Robinson will not be obtainable till January.
Boston middle Kristaps Porzingis had surgical procedure on his left leg in late June and is predicted to overlook no less than the primary two months of the season. The Celtics had been 21-4 with out Porzingis within the lineup final season, when he averaged 20.1 factors in 57 video games. He spent his first three seasons within the NBA with the Knicks.
“Do we’ve nice expertise? Sure,” Mazzulla mentioned. “Do we’ve nice gamers? Sure. Do we’ve a terrific basis? Sure. Is that this ’24-25 crew nice but? No, as a result of we’ve not been in a recreation. It simply takes time and each season is completely different and assuming that you simply’re simply going to … what’d we are saying earlier than? Doing this previously does not essentially imply that is going to work now.”
–Subject Degree Media
