The Boston Celtics came into the 2024-25 NBA season with high expectations. As reigning champions, Joe Mazzulla’s team had one clearly defined goal: go back-to-back.
Winning two consecutive championships is far from easy. It hasn’t been done since the Golden State Warriors in 16-17 and 17-18. Still, that hasn’t stopped the Celtics from keeping their foot off the gas in search of what would be a historic feat.
According to an anonymous poll of over 100 NBA players by The Athletic, the Celtics are favorites to win the 2025 championship. 57.7% of voters selected the Jayson Tatum-led roster. The Oklahoma City Thunder came in second with 17.5% of the votes, and the Cleveland Cavaliers were third with 10.2%.
“Their team chemistry is great,” One anonymous player told The Athletic. “They have a lot of superstars on that team, and they consistently know their roles, and they kind of put their egos aside and just win games.”
Another player also chimed in with their reasoning.
“I personally think Boston will pull it out because they’ve been there and they’re more experienced. But I think Cleveland is going to give them a run for their money, for sure. … They look really good.”
The Celtics currently hold a one-game lead over the Orlando Magic, whom they are facing in the opening round of the 2025 postseason.
Joe Mazzulla Gives Celtics Confidence
During a recent interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG.org, Derrick White detailed the impact Joe Mazzulla has had on the Celtics roster. White credited the third-year head coach for empowering his players and filling them with confidence.
“He just gives us confidence,” White said. “We’ve all had coaches where they’re like, ‘I don’t know if you want to shoot that.’ Joe always gives us the confidence to take shots. He believes in us, so when your head coach believes in you so much, you just got to let the next one fly, even if you missed the last one. That’s a big thing and he’s just always empowering us to be our best selves.”
Mazzulla’s style of play has certainly split opinion among the fanbase. The heavy three-point style can sometimes lead to uncharacteristic losses. However, it’s clear the Celtics players resonate with Mazzulla and his vision, which is why they’re fighting for a second-straight championship.
Celtics Backed to Win a Second Championship
According to Kendrick Perkins, who was speaking on a recent episode of First Take, there isn’t a team in the league capable of stopping this Celtics roster.
“I have a better chance of finding a salad in a donut shop.” Perkins said. “It’s not happening…Let me explain why. 1. The Celtics were disrespected after they won their last championship, so they’re p****d off. 2. They brought back every single player from that championship squad…Their others, outside of Tatum, Brown and the rest of the starting five, has gotten better…I don’t see a single team in the NBA that’s gonna beat this team healthy in a seven-game series. Not one.”
Out of all the contending teams, the Celtics are the most experienced. Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford have been together for years. They know what it takes to be successful in the postseason. As such, backing Boston to win Banner 19 is far from a hot take.
