Following the Boston Celtics’ veritable walkthrough en route to claiming a league-record 18th title against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, the 2024 NBA offseason is officially upon us.
With the dust settling, it’s becoming clear that Boston ran roughshod over pretty much everybody. The Celtics went an astounding 80-21 overall (64-18 in the regular season, 16-3 in the postseason).
Boston’s trades of former Defensive Player of the Year point guard Marcus Smart for 3-and-D center Kristaps Porzingis and All-Defensive center Robert Williams III and Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon for All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday enabled the club to truly embrace its final form: a five-out offense and a versatile, switch-heavy defense that essentially make it hard to stop at either end.
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All-NBA Dallas guard Luka Doncic fought through a sprained knee and a thoracic contusion during these playoffs, but still managed to post an impressive stat line of 28.9 points on .446/.322/.765 shooting splits, 9.5 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.9 steals. He didn’t get much consistent support, with the most surprising offender being his 32-year-old All-Star teammate Kyrie Irving, who fell apart in the Finals. Irving’s three-point shooting (he connected on 27.6 percent of his 5.8 attempts a game) and defense (he was a sieve) were especially concerning.
So will either of these clubs be back in the Finals next year?
In our first post-2024 team power rankings, we unpack what the current clubs, with their current rosters and coaching and draft prospects, could look like in 2024-25.
1. Boston Celtics
This isn’t just recency bias. This Boston team is talented and deep, and its top six are under team control through at least next season. The Celtics are major threats on either side of the floor, and should be able to beat up on a relatively shallow Eastern Conference for years to come, given that All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both under 28.
2. Denver Nuggets
The 2023 league champs may have fallen in seven contests during the second round of this year’s playoffs, but the Minnesota Timberwolves matched up particularly well against the Nuggets thanks to their size on the frontcourt and their length on the perimeter. Star point guard Jamal Murray was also playing through an injury. Denver would match up better against the Mavericks and Thunder than it did against Minnesota anyway. Presumably, the team will look to shore up its veteran depth on the bench, but we can’t project the quality of the pieces.
3. Dallas Mavericks
The reigning West representative in this year’s Finals will have its work cut out for it to reascend the mountain next spring. The Mavs could use a true supplemental ball handler and scorer along the wing, next to incumbent stars Irving and Doncic. Starting small forward Derrick Jones Jr. is a terrific defender with an erratic jump shoot, but he’s also an unrestricted free agent looking to get his payday. Dallas may not be able to afford him, and might need to pivot.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota shocked the world when it bested the Nuggets this year. The Timberwolves, led by 22-year-old All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards, are young, talented, and oversized. Minnesota buckled under the pressure a bit against the halfcourt brilliance of Dallas’ attack, and ultimately fell in five games during the Western Conference Finals. This coming season, the Timberwolves should look for internal growth, from not just Edward but also four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, plus young perimeter weapons like Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaden McDaniels.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
This club finished with a 57-25 record and the No. 1 seed in the crowded Western Conference, but was ousted in the second round by the eventual Finalists. It was clear pretty much all year that the Thunder needed to add some size in the frontcourt, especially at center. Instead, Oklahoma City traded for Gordon Hayward, who looks very cooked and gave the Thunder very little. The young Thunder returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is now one of the best players in the league, and incumbent supporting players Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams seem likely to take a leap next season.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.