Banner 19? 3 reasons the Celtics will repeat as NBA champions

After a dominant 2023-2024 season that ended with a 4-1 gentlemanly victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals and the team’s first banner since 2008, the Boston Celtics are primed to become the NBA’s first back-to-back champions since then becoming the Kevin Durant-led Golden State Warriors.

There are three main reasons for this: The Celtics are more prepared than ever to win Banner 19 next season.

Brad Stevens

This offseason, GM Brad Stevens accomplished something rare in any sport: He was able to retain all of the team’s rotation players. On the first day of free agency, Stevens inked deals with big men Xavier Tillman and Luke Kornet. As the offseason progressed, he managed to sign guard Derrick White and forward Jayson Tatum to multi-year extensions.

But Stevens didn’t stop there. With the 30th pick in the first round, Stevens selected sharpshooter Baylor Scheierman. As icing on the cake, Stevens rewarded Sam Hauser with a multi-year contract and signed veteran winger Lonnie Walker IV to a one-year deal, solidifying this roster from the ground up.

Joe Mazzulla

While Stevens is arguably the best GM in the league, he is just acquiring talent and needs an equally skilled coaching staff to capitalize on it. Luckily, the Boston Celtics have just that with head coach Joe Mazzulla.

In his two years at the helm, he led the team to two Eastern Conference Finals appearances and an NBA championship. However, his success will not stop there. In a recent interview with Locked on Celtics, Coach Mazzulla was asked if the team had the ability to compete as champions and if they had a target on their backs.

“People will say the target is on our backs, but I hope it’s right on our forehead, between our eyes. I hope I can see the red dot.”

– Joe Mazzulla

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

With a top-notch GM and head coach, the only thing left is the players on the field. And this offseason, the team’s superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown appear to be as hungry as ever.

Brown, the MVP of the Eastern Conference and NBA Finals, was left off the Olympic squad after star forward Kawhi Leonard was unable to participate due to injury. And while Tatum was named to the team, the NBA2K25 cover athlete was heavily cut by Team USA head coach Steve Kerr. So it’s clear that both still need to earn some respect in the league.

With a great GM, head coach and motivated superstars in tow, the reigning champion Boston Celtics should achieve a similar end result to the 2024-2025 season.

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