Boston’s stunning rebirth: How the Celtics rose again from the brink

It has been nearly a decade since a new era began in what was – and still is – the most decorated franchise in NBA history: the Boston Celtics. The shift in direction was built largely on back-to-back No. 3 overall draft picks. In 2016, Jaylen Brown; a year later, Jayson Tatum. Together, they formed the duo that lifted Boston back to the top of the league after a deep drought – a 25-57 season in 2013-14 that followed the 2013 summer trade sending Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets. Ironically, the draft picks involved in that deal ultimately brought Brown and Tatum to Boston. The long game paid off in spectacular fashion.

In Brown’s first season, the impact was immediate. Led by Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics reached the Eastern Conference finals after finishing first in the regular season at 53-29. They fell one step short of the NBA Finals – 4-1 against LeBron James. The following year, with Tatum as a rookie, “the King” again proved executioner on the same stage, this time in seven games. Two seasons later, in the 2019-20 campaign inside the Orlando bubble, the Brown-Tatum pairing reached another Conference finals, losing in six to the Miami Heat. That same opponent denied them again in 2022-23. In between, in 2021-22, Boston came within touching distance of glory, reaching the NBA Finals before falling 4-2 to the battle-hardened Golden State Warriors.

It was neither quick nor easy. Major sacrifices followed: the painful but necessary trade of Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis, and the acquisition of Jrue Holiday in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III. Doubts swirled about whether Brown and Tatum could truly win together. In 2023-24, they answered emphatically, capturing the NBA championship and proving themselves the best team on the planet.

Last season, the same roster and strong momentum – 61 regular-season wins – appeared to push Boston toward a second straight title. Then disaster struck in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks: Tatum ruptured his Achilles tendon. Trailing 2-1 in the series and down nine at the moment of injury, the Celtics saw their season end in the cruelest fashion.

That summer, the salary cap became unsustainable. The championship core was dismantled. Holiday was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. A day later, Porzingis was sent to the Atlanta Hawks, who absorbed his $30.7 million salary along with a second-rounder; Georges Niang arrived in return. Moving both veterans generated nearly $180 million in luxury tax relief.

With Tatum sidelined and key departures mounting, the Celtics appeared destined to fade. Their 0-3 start – the worst since 2013-14 – seemed to confirm it. Projections placed them closer to the play-in than the playoffs. Brown urged patience after the rocky opening: “It’s going to take some time. We lost four All-Stars: Al (Horford), Jrue, Kristaps and JT. You don’t replace those guys overnight.” He was right. Two-thirds into the season, Boston sits second in the East at 35-19 and once again looks like a contender – especially with Tatum’s return looming.

A new dawn in Boston

Brown has fully blossomed. The 2024 Finals MVP is averaging 29.3 points, seven rebounds and five assists per night. After a 50-point explosion against the LA Clippers – defending both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden – he declared himself “the best player in the world if you combine offense and defense.” His production suggests history. Tatum holds the franchise record with 42 games of 30-plus points in a season; Brown is on pace for 49.

Yet the resurgence extends beyond one star. Coach Joe Mazzulla has maximized a roster in which 85 percent of players were in the G League last season. Neemias Queta is averaging 10 points and eight rebounds, while Jordan Walsh has grown into a trusted piece, playing 19 minutes a night.

Payton Pritchard and Derrick White have taken major strides. Pritchard, now a starter, averages 17 points on efficient shooting – 46 percent from two and 35 percent from three. White matches him offensively and anchors the defense with 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Both are on the verge of passing Ray Allen on the franchise’s all-time three-point list; Allen sits seventh with 798, while Pritchard and White have 797 and 793 respectively.

Tatum’s recovery has progressed faster than expected. According to Bill Simmons, he could return as soon as March 1. If so, it would position Boston perfectly for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the veterans who departed have struggled with injuries: Holiday has missed 29 of 56 games, Porzingis 39, and Horford 21.

Simons, acquired in the Holiday deal, averaged 14 points and became one of the team’s top three-point threats off the bench. But Boston made another decisive move, trading him two days before the deadline for Nikola Vucevic. The Montenegrin center provides experience and floor spacing – averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds and 46 percent from three in 26 minutes per night under Mazzulla – perhaps the final piece in a renewed title chase.

Rookie Hugo González, selected 28th after arriving from Madrid, has emerged as a revelation. Net rating measures point differential per 100 possessions. González not only leads all rookies but tops the entire league among players logging at least 15 minutes per game at +17.6 – ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15.5), Victor Wembanyama (12.2) and Nikola Jokic (11.7).

Mazzulla has praised him lavishly, noting that “his defensive instincts put him in a place beyond what you’d expect from a 19-year-old.” González has also delivered offensively, drilling a buzzer-beating three in overtime against the Nets. Over the past two months, he has recorded five double-digit scoring games after failing to reach that mark early in the season. The progress has been steady and unmistakable – a fitting symbol of this new Celtics era, forged in adversity and thriving against expectation.

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