The entire NBA league faces a potential challenge from the Celtics’ title fight

Boston ruled the 2023/24 NBA season, finishing with an impressive record of 80 wins from 101 games. Led by Brad Stevens, the team added two former All-Stars, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and embarked on a historic series. The Celtics lost just three games on the way to the title, and their net rating was the best since the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan and the Golden State Warriors with Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.

The duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, also known as the “Jay Team,” led this superior team. In the decisive game, Tatum scored 31 points and 11 assists, while Brown contributed 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Holiday and White delivered 29 points and 19 rebounds each, their defensive performance forming a steady threat. Al Horford, who had gone titleless in 186 playoff games, lifted the championship trophy. Porzingis returned from injury and scored two field goals. Hauser hit crucial three-pointers and Pritchard attempted a “Hail Mary” from the midfield in the chaotic TD Garden.

The youngest coach to lead a team to a title since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976, 35-year-old Joe Mazzulla led this team to victory. Despite calls for his firing the previous year, he led and motivated the team to overcome the past.

When Jayson Tatum spoke into the microphone after winning the title, it was a clear joke to the critics who had attacked this team, especially the “Jays,” their star duo. Jaylen Brown’s record-breaking contract, which he signed shortly after the elimination against Miami in the Conference Finals, had confused many. Brown signed a five-year, $304 million deal, while Tatum is expected to sign a slightly higher offer in the summer.

Accepting the Finals MVP trophy from Commissioner Adam Silver, Brown acknowledged Tatum’s role: “This award is a testament to teamwork and I share it with my colleagues and my partner, Jayson Tatum. He has been with me since the beginning. We had numerous playoff disappointments and many questions about our compatibility. But we ignored the noise and continued to work.” Since Brown’s rookie season in 2016-17, Boston had reached the Conference Finals six times and the NBA Finals twice before winning this year. Their 107 playoff games without a title are a new NBA record.

“We’ve stuck together through the thin and the thin,” Brown says. “We’ve played together for seven years now and overcome numerous challenges. The media said we could work together or win. But we ignored the noise and stuck to the work. I trust him and he trusts me. And together we got it done.” Tatum and Brown first practiced together in the lead-up to the season. “We’re past the stage of making All-Star games and All-NBA teams,” Tatum recalls. “That was great, but it wasn’t enough. It was time to make the necessary sacrifices, points, shots, whatever it took to build the best team in the league.”

Before them, many successful duos had come close to winning the NBA Championship, but ultimately failed to win. The pairings of Karl Malone and John Stockton in Utah, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor in Los Angeles, Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter in Portland, and even Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City had never made it to the Finals. The duos of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp had spent several years in the playoffs without winning the title themselves. The “Jays” were on the verge of dissolution before they reached the summit of the NBA.

Tatum recalled: “Our talent was always underestimated.” They reached the Conference Finals twice in their first three years. But people seemed to overlook our youthful inexperience. They lost and were criticized by the media: “They lost, they can work together. Trade Brown.” Nobody believed in us except Brad Stevens. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Stevens, a 47-year-old coach, led the Celtics from 2013 to 2021, then took over as president and general manager from Danny Ainge, who left for Utah. Ainge, the original architect of that team, rebuilt after the 2008 title, trading stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn for future draft picks, which were Brown and Tatum. Ainge hired Stevens as head coach at Butler University in 2013 and promoted him to Boston the next year, signing Brown (2016) and Tatum (2017) with the third pick in the draft.

Stevens’ calm, strategic leadership transformed the Celtics into a top team. Star players like Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker arrived, but Boston failed to achieve the success they were looking for. When Ainge left, the team teetered on the brink of chaos. Stevens stepped into the front office and stabilized the situation. Ime Udoka was hired and fired as coach, Mazzulla was promoted from assistant to head coach. Instead of acting on constant critics and breaking up Brown, Stevens remained patient with his young duo, whom he had mentored since their NBA debut.

As a manager, he had built a nearly invincible team around his two new leaders. He brought back veteran Al Horford, whom he had coached in Boston from 2016 to 2019. A trade with San Antonio brought All-Defensive guard Derrick White to Beantown two years ago. Ultimately, Stevens’ masterstroke was trading two key players and two draft picks for combo guard Jrue Holiday, the 2021 NBA champion. He then traded rookie and fan favorite Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis. The terrible lineup was complete.

New Celtics dynasty on the horizon?

Boston’s title was the result of years of visionary work. From Ainge to Stevens. From Stevens to Mazzulla. Patience and continuity pay off. With a pillar of quality throughout the franchise – generous team owners, smart management, innovative training, the best starting lineup in the NBA – it seems possible for a sustained series of success.

However, there are no guarantees of a title in this league. The competition is fierce. From Denver to Dallas, Milwaukee to Philadelphia, to up-and-coming teams like Minnesota, Oklahoma City and New York, or veteran teams like Phoenix, LA and Miami. At least ten teams will play a role in the championship decision in the coming years. In the last six years, a new champion has been crowned every year. Since the Warriors were champions in 2017 and 2018, there has been no accumulation of championships. Since 2019, no champion has made it to the final series again. The last triple win was more than 20 years ago. (Lakers 2000, 2001 and 2002).

The era of dynasties currently seems to be over. Stevens and Co. are working in Boston to potentially reverse that trend. All key players are under long-term contracts. Tatum and White will be extended this summer; Horford has announced his intention to play his 18th professional season; Brown, Holiday, Porzingis and Pritchard are signed until at least 2026. Mazzulla will not lose any of his key players, which is a rarity for reigning champions. The Celtics enter the 2024/25 season as overwhelming favorites. Titles are simply the expectation in Boston now: “As long as we reach number 18 once – from then on we will chase number 19. That’s just the way it is.”**

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2024-06-24 18:07:29
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