Cooler temperatures and winter weather mean one thing— the holiday season is here.
Like many children who write a wish list to Santa, the North Pole will receive a Boston Celtics Christmas Wishlist.
Boston recorded a historic 18th banner on June 17th, 2024, after defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 last season to win the NBA Championship. Key roster moves warranted high expectations coming into this campaign.
The team virtually remained the same, with the top six under contract for another year and the addition of draftees Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson producing another talented squad. Becoming back-to-back NBA Champions seemed realistic.
Since opening tipoff, Boston has the third-best record in the NBA at 22-6, second in the Eastern Conference behind Cleveland. Even though the Cs aren’t having a dominant start, they lead the league in three-pointers made and sit third in points per game.
So, what are Boston’s top wishes this Christmas?
No. 1: A Healthy Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porizingis has had a stop-start Celtics career so far. The center had a plethora of injuries before wearing the green uniform, and this list has only grown.
Last season, Porzingis missed 25 regular-season games, and this year it’s more of the same. He has missed 19 of the 28 games so far. Even though Boston has performed well without him, it’s a worrying sight that needs to be addressed.
Down the stretch, they’re going to need the 7-foot-2 big man. His defensive presence sends shooters away from the paint and prevents opponents from getting easy layups.
On his return, Porzingis helped the Celtics drop to a 92.2 defensive rating when he was on the court. A massive stop is the same as making a buzzer-beater in close contests. Porzingis supports the offense and ensures Boston isn’t vulnerable on the defensive end.
No. 2: Better Rim Protection
The saying goes: defense wins championships.
That’s exactly what Boston did last year when Joe Mazzulla and his players locked down some of the best scorers in the league. Their matchups and solid rim protection made their defense tough to beat.
This season, the C’s have struggled to protect the rim. As of Dec. 12, Boston allows opponents to shoot 67.1% near the rim, which ranks 19th in the league. In the last campaign, they ranked ninth in opponent points in the paint, surrendering 47.7 points per game.
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Mazzulla and the team’s philosophy is to protect the area beyond the arc, but they must address points near the rim. Porzingis’ short return aided this area.
With the center sidelined multiple times, Boston rotates the Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Neemias Queta trio to force opponents to take lower-percentage shots. More size on the court equals more defensive rebounds and means more opportunities to generate points.
No. 3: More Bench Contribution
One of the most significant talking points for the Celtics is how deep their bench goes. Rotation between players ensures they end each quarter on top, which starts bench production.
Boston has one of the best starting fives in the NBA, but who will step up if the core group cannot find a way through? Seasoned players like Luke Kornet and Payton Pritchard have carried the load, but the burden can’t be put on just the two.
The Celtics need more contributions from Drew Peterson, Neemis Queta, and Jordan Walsh to rest up the key starters. Boston sits with 29.6 points per game from non-starters, ranking 26th in the league.
The bench has performed well in recent games and needs more playing time to gel together before statistics increase. A Cs bench improvement puts other teams on notice.
The Celtics battle the Sixers at 4pm ET on Christmas Day.
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