Exorcising Playoff Frustration: Inside the Boston Celtics’ 2024 NBA Championship Journey

The Boston Celtics are your 2024 NBA Champions!!! After years of taking the bridesmaid role, Boston’s finally a beautiful bride. On the doorstep of a championship for the last couple of years, the Boston bride has finally walked down the aisle to the altar of hoop heaven.

And in winning the NBA crown this year, the Celtics took a distinctly different approach, using a new template that could well be the model for other teams in the years to come. Here was a team that had all its 5 players on the court firing wicked 3-point bombs from all over the court. (And they even had 1 buzzer-beater specialist!) Unlike the Golden State Warriors who had guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson popularize the use of the 3-ball to win multiple championships, the Celtics paraded n all 5 players on the court consistently hitting those artillery 3s; unleashing maximum damage from afar, while unclogging the driving lanes for the easy lay-ups.

And while previous champion team iterations had regular season or Finals MVPs such as Nikola Jokic (Nuggets 2023) or Steph Curry (Warriors 2022) or Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks 2021) or Lebron James (Lakers 2020), Kawhi Leonard (Raptors 2019) and Kevin Durant (Warriors 2017-18); this team had none of that. Instead, they had 2 below-the-radar present All-Stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, plus 3 former All-Stars in Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday manning the fort.

Another distinct feature that the newly-crowned champs displayed was their penchant for pug-nosed team defense. Again, unlike other teams that featured 3-and-D players, this was a 3-and-D squad! Credit former coach and now Celtics GM, Brad Stevens, for bringing in Kristaps and Jrue this year to further strengthen a roster that had toiled – and got foiled – on the fringes of an NBA championship for years. Brad’s trade acumen was what would finally take this team over the hump, after years of frustration and pain.

Looking back, the Celtics’ road to glory this year was filled with the sad memories of the obstacles and failures of past campaigns. In 2020, they were upset by a lower-ranked Heat team in the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2. In 2022, the Celtics would reach the Finals, but would lose to the sharp-shooting Golden State Warriors 4-2. Last year, they were heavily favored to beat the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. But they were nipped once again 4-3.

The Celtics had consistently made it to the NBA playoffs since 2015, but it had never seen hoop heaven during that time. The last time the Celtics had hoisted the NBA championship trophy had been in 2008, with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett leading a star-studded team. This year’s crown was Boston’s 18th, and it is perhaps the sweetest of them all for a number of reasons. First, it once again affirms its solo leadership in the NBA championship race against its rival, the LA Lakers, who have 17 rings to their credit. Second, this was for the late great Bill Walton, the Celtic icon who passed just recently; and for the 95-year old Bob Cousy, who expressed his dream of seeing an 18th title before he finally exits the parquet floors of the TD Garden for good. And third, this was for the years of playoff frustration that needed to be exorcised, as its stigma was now wearing down heavily on its players. The Celtics have consistently made the playoffs since 2015. After 10 years of frustration, they have finally made it to the very top. How sweet it is, indeed!

Jaylen Brown, this year’s Finals MVP, is their most tenured player, having joined the Celtics in 2016, the year they started to make the playoffs. He was primarily responsible for shutting down the Mavs’ main money man, Luka Doncic.

Jayson Tatum, undoubtedly, was the team’s main man. He was the hub who made all the Celtics’ moving parts functioning efficiently. He was a great shooter, a tough-as-nails defender, an eagle-eyed passer, an excellent orchestrator, and an inspiring team leader. And, to emphasize the last point, he had no qualms of having his buddy, Jaylen, take the MVP; for it was the NBA title that mattered most for him.

Al Horford, at 38 years of age, was the team’s most senior citizen. His experience, having played 186 playoff games before winning his first title, was a key element in keeping the team focused. His 3-point bombs kept the Mav frontcourt from dominating the boards the way they did in their previous playoff series.

Jrue Holiday, newly acquired from Milwaukee, was their lucky charm. He got his 1st NBA ring when he joined the Bucks in 2021. Jrue then took a FIBA gold medal for a redeeming Team USA in 2021 after an underwhelming 7th spot finish previously. Joining the Celtics at the start of the season last year, he brought the magic that gave the Celtics a new ring.

And then there was Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps was the x-factor who kept the Mavs’ staff and players guessing. He created so many mismatches, on defense and offense, and his mere presence or absence had the Mavs coaching staff adjusting and second-guessing their preparations. Kristaps, along with the entire Celtic team, took advantage of the confusion that unhinged the Mavs, contributing heavily on both offense and defense.

All 5 present and former All-Stars provided significant contributions in this campaign. But the other team members’ contributions cannot be denied as well. Derrick White played like a veteran and on many occasions, took the lead role in orchestrating their offensive adjustments. Payton Pritchard became a surprise buzzer-beater specialist. Xavier Tillman and Luke Kornet also played quality minutes.

And, of course, there was Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics’ unassuming, underestimated, under-appreciated coach. Joe’s designation as head coach last year was a big surprise, but what was an even bigger, yet pleasant surprise was the way he was able to pick up the pieces from the dismissal of popular coach Ime Udoka, and how he guided the team to the championship on only his 2nd year as head coach. His strong drive and accountability are what convinced GM Brad Stevens that he deserved to be given the job full-time. And it seems that his professional conduct, his laid-back character, his penchant for perfection; all these have been imbibed among his players and staff.

When the Denver Nuggets won last year, teams started looking for ways to negate the Nuggets main weapon, the Jokic/Murray pick-and-roll. Before that, it was the Steph/Klay 3-point assault. A year earlier, it was Giannis and his unstoppable drive to the basket. And before that, it was how to stop Lebron with his inside-and-out mix of threats. With the NBA season over, the question that the rest of the NBA will try to address now is how to stop the 5-man 3-point barrage that the Celtics have introduced. With the 3-point shot now no longer the sole property of the guards and the wingmen, and with the advent of positionless ball; it will be imperative for all the other teams to look for ways to stop this new blueprint for success.

Since 2018, no NBA champion has ever returned to the podium the following year. Every year hence, talks of the chances for a repeat champ have been freely discussed. This year, the Timberwolves addressed the Nuggets’ strength by pitting 2 bigs to exhaust Jokic. In 2022, the Heat devised a secondary and tertiary wall to address Giannis’ daring drives. Trades and the salary cap took out the Raptors, the Lakers and the Warriors after their respective winning seasons. It is now the Celtics’ turn to wear the crown this year. But as they say, uneasy is the head that wears the crown. Will the Celtics be around to keep the crown next season? Or will another team find an antidote for the Celtics’ brand new template? Your guess is as good as mine.

Cover pic courtesy of Yahoo Sports. Other pics courtesy of The Manila Times, WTOP, USA Today, Euro Sport, Times Now, the South China Morning Post, the Philippine Star, The Tribune – Democrat, The Journal, and Draft Kings Network. For a closer look, just click on the pics.