For the most part, the Boston Celtics are getting their flowers in all the right places as they prepare for the 2023-24 season.
Two weeks before Opening Night, the NBA issued its latest “GM Survey,” which asked 50 questions to determine how executives across the league feel about the offseason. Almost everything was covered, including Boston’s most recent front-office drive for Banner 18.
But was the league’s high regard for the Celtics entirely justified?
However, that didn’t resolve everything, therefore, the Celtics aren’t exonerated for one crucial area that hindered them throughout last season and could trigger a deja vu effect yet again: Defense.
The Celtics were deemed the best defensive team in the NBA, receiving 47% of the vote — a substantial lead ahead of the second-place Memphis Grizzlies who racked up 17% of the votes. That’s questionable for a number of reasons.
First, the offseason was certainly promising, but that doesn’t negate its losses. Boston parted ways from Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III — their undisputed defensive leaders. That’s a major toll on the defensive identity that, under former head coach Ime Udoka, pushed the Celtics to their last NBA Finals appearance. So entering a year where Boston’s defensive identity needs to be re-established, one could imagine the losses of Smart and Williams will be even more felt.
Boston is banking on a repeat defensive year from Derrick White, now paired with Jrue Holiday, who’s regarded as one of the league’s best defensive guards. There’s a favorable possibility that those two lock it down on that end of the floor, but again, that doesn’t cancel out the front court’s red flags.
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