Welcome to the NTC season preview series! Over the next several weeks, we will attempt to bring you the most in depth analysis possible about all 30 teams in both written and podcast formats leading up to the tip-off of the 2024-25 NBA season. We have split the segments up by division, so we will provide previews for five teams per week for a total of six weeks. Within each team preview, you will find a short recap of how they finished their 2023-24 seasons, key players to watch, what their goals for next season might be, and more. We hope you enjoy the ride. Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments you may have! With that being said, let’s get to it.
Previous Division: N/A
Coming Next: Pacific Division
Boston Celtics
2023-24 ranks:
Offense – 1st (123.2)
Defense – 3rd (111.6)
Net Rating – 1st (+11.6)
Weighted Age – 6th (28.2)
Fresh off of their first championship in 16 years, the legendary Boston Celtics franchise will embark on a journey to fend off impressive foes from each conference. In the East, the Bucks have a year of continuity under their belt, the Sixers added Paul George to an already impressive core consisting of Maxey and Embiid, and the Knicks finished assembling the “Nova Knicks.” Across the way, the Mavericks retooled a roster that just competed against Boston in the Finals, The Timberwolves will once again be out for blood, and the Thunder are only getting better in their young age.
In spite of all this, the Celtics enter the season as the likely favorites to hoist the championship trophy in 2025. For one, They spared no expense to keep their incredible core intact. The only departures were players who weren’t going to get many minutes anyway and the only free agents Derrick White, and Zavier Tillman are back on fresh contracts. Even Sam Hauser got anew deal worth four $45 million over four years. Of course, we can’t forget about Jayson Tatum, who just signed the most lucrative contract in NBA history. You have to respect the dedication to winning the Celtics displayed in all of their offseason moves. While most owners balk at inflating salary numbers and start cutting away at the foundation in order to save money, Boston did the opposite and shelled out hundreds of millions in new money during the summer. There will be stiff consequences to this decision to pay out this much money, particularly during the 2025-26 season, which could see the Celtics barrell past $500 million in total team payroll. In the meantime however, this team is equipped to be one of the most potent in the association on offense and defense. As deep as this team is however, they will only go as far as their franchise centerpiece Jayson Tatum can carry them. His long range shooting will be an area to monitor as he struggled mightily in the latter portion of last season and during the Olympic run in Paris. At sub 30% for the entirety of the playoffs run and 0% (0/7) in international competition, he has a ton of work to do to reestablish himself as a real threat in that department again.
Another player to monitor will be Kristaps Porzingis, who frequently deals with pesky injuries that keep him out for a decent amount of time. His career high for games played is 72, which he hasn’t hit since his rookie season and last year didn’t even manage to appear in 60 total games (57). When he is healthy however, he is still an all-star caliber talent who will put Boston over the top if they are on the verge of repeating. He popped off for 20 points in 20 minutes during game one against Dallas in his return from injury. He is also key to their elite defense. He finished #2 in Rim DFG% last season, per NBA.com. The Celtics will need him upright to reach their full potential.
Speaking of health, how will Holiday and Horford hold up deep into their thirties now after an extended playoff run? Neither has shown strong signs of decline, but it is only a matter of time, as Father Time is undefeated. Holiday in particular might need to be brought along gradually as he just spent an extra couple of months on the court securing another gold medal. Backups Payton Prichard and Xavier Tillman will be key if either elder statesman of the Boston core gets banged up, or just need some rest days. All in all, the ceiling for this Boston Celtics team is incredibly high. If their core pieces stay healthy, there is no reason to doubt they could win a second championship in two years.
Brooklyn Nets
2023-24 ranks:
Offense – 23rd (113.2)
Defense – 20th (116.1)
Net Rating – 22nd (-3.0)
Weighted Age – 17th (26.1)
The winds of change are upon the Brooklyn Nets as a new season approaches. Just a few years ago, they were firmly in the championship conversation with a core consisting of superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Now, they are firmly in a rebuild coming off of a tough season that yielded just 32 wins. Fast forward a few months and they are now looking to ship off leftover veterans Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, and Bojan Bogdanovic. Over the summer, the franchise accepted its fate towards the bottom of the Eastern conference by shipping off Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in exchange for a huge bounty. By waiting to find a suitor that was desperate to bring in Bridges, the Nets secured a package featuring five(!!) first round picks to help accelerate their rise back to relevance.
The first order of business will be to find a franchise pillar using one of their multiple 1st rounders coming over the course of the next several years. Unfortunately, the path to discovering such a talent will not be easy and will involve at least one losing season. The primary goal of the Nets this coming season will be to develop young talent and find out who is worth keeping on board as they head into the next era of Nets Basketball. One of the aforementioned keepers looks to already be in the fold with defensive stud Nic Claxton. He was awarded a new contract back in July worth $100 million over the next four years. At 25 years old, he still fits firmly in the timeline for Brooklyn. Does he have another gear to reach in terms of his offensive game? It doesn’t look like he will become a legitimate floor spacer anytime soon, but he could stand to improve his dreadful FT%, which was a poultry 55% last season. Now that he has become a veteran among a younger team searching for direction, his voice and leadership in the middle will be paramount.
After Claxton, the picture gets somewhat murky in terms of the young talent. There have been many players drafted since the arrival of Claxton in 2019, including Cam Thomas in 2021, followed by Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, and Jalen Wilson in 2023. Thomas should be in line for a starting spot, given his prowess as a scorer, but will his contributions be written off as empty stats in a losing season, or can he begin to find ways to help the team win outside of pouring in buckets? Either way, the appeal is clear. He scored 22.5 points per game last season in 66 total appearances on a decent eFG% of 50.4%. The finishing could use some work, but he is already an outstanding free throw shooter, above average mid range scorer, and pretty decent from behind the arc as well. The others are mostly unknowns. Clowney has only logged 23 NBA games, Whitehead has 24 total MINUTES, and 2023 2nd rounder pick Wilson has shown the most with 43 NBA appearances and securing the Summer League MVP award in Vegas back in July. It will be fascinating to see who rises to the top of the priority list for Brooklyn and who fades deeper into obscurity during the next campaign.
The biggest wild card for this team and possibly the biggest in the entire NBA will be Ben Simmons. If he can rediscover even a portion of his prior form, he could be a huge asset to the Nets…that is until they start winning too many games, then it could mean more time off for the former All-Star and All-Defensive team member. Still, with over $40 million coming his way this season on an expiring deal, it would be great for himself and his current team if he was somewhat effective and played over 60 games for the first time since his second season in 2018-19. At only 27 years old, he could have a ton of professional basketball, but he will have to prove he can be available and effective over an extended sample. Glimpses of his old self have been present at times and there is still potential for him to slot in as a start of reserve four who can defend all five positions and intiate actions like he did in his hayday with Philadelphia. While his best days may be behind him, he could still find a real role with this rebuilding team and even if he doesn’t he could massivly boost his appeal around the league and set himself up for a nice payday next summer. First things first, though. He needs get on the court and help the Nets through what will probably be one of the most loss filled season in recent memory.
New York Knicks
2023-24 ranks:
Offense – 7th (118.2)
Defense – 10th (113.4)
Net Rating – 5th (+4.8)
Weighted Age – 13th (26.4)
For the first time in decades, the New York Knicks enter a new season as real threats to bring home an NBA Championship. Management has been on an absolute tear the past couple of years, bringing in players tailor made to flourish under the leadership of Thibs such as Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and most recently, Mikal Bridges. Each addition has brought an element of toughness, hard nosed defense, and unrelenting competitiveness to the roster and that culminated in a 50 win season, and nearly an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals that was somewhat derailed by injuries to key players. In the midst of their 2024 playoff run, Jalen Brunson established himself as one of the very best players in the association, posting five 40 point games and averaging 32.4 points per contest, while posting a TS% of 53.6.
So how will the famous Knickerbocker franchise follow up on that magical season? Well for starters, they doubled down on Villanova representation by adding Bridges to a core of DiVincenzo, Brunson, and Hart. It cost a pretty penny to reunite Bridges with his former college teammates, but for a franchise that can taste ultimate victory, it may very well be worth the draft capital expenditure. Among all the Nova fanfare, it can be easy to forget about multi-time All-Star and one of the longest tenured players in the association, Julius Randle. He missed the final 36 regular season games, as well as the entire playoff run, so he hasn’t had the opportunity to adjust to playing with OG Anunoby yet, let alone Mikal Bridges.
This raises the question of how his reintroduction will affect the team. If he continues to start, do Bridges and OG start alongside him? That would push Bridges to a role in the backcourt alongside Brunson, which could present a steep learning curve for the former Net. One of the keys to the season for the coaching staff will be to figure out how all of the pieces of the offensive puzzle fit together, especially if they are all going to be playing big minutes. An Alternative strategy of course would be to trade Randle. His trade value probably isn’t at its highest coming off of a moderately severe injury, but All-Star forwards don’t exactly grow on trees. There could be a team on the verge of contention that is willing to take on his tricky contract situation. He is locked in for $28.9 million in 2024-25, but a player option awaits for next year. He will almost certainly opt-out, so whoever picks him up would have to extend him, or flirt with the chance that he hits the free agency market. We’ll have to see how things are looking as the trade deadline approaches.
The other big elephant in the room when it comes to the ultimate fate of the Knicks will be their overall health. Bodies began to drop as the postseason progressed last year. Was it due to poor luck, or overexertion from major minutes during the second half of the season? Either way, it looms as a potential flaw in Thibodeau’s game plan. The major players are still young enough, but if they constantly log 40+ minute games, it could lead to trouble at some point along the way. One player who won’t be able to play heavy minutes frequently will be Mitchell Robinson. His presence will be huge in the wake of Hartenstein’s departure for OKC. When healthy, is a terrifying rim protector and makes the Knicks absolutely ferocious on the glass. He rebounded 17.6% of his teammates misses last year, which placed him in the 99th percentile for centers, per CTG. However, he has only played an average of 53 games over the course of his five year career, so it’s safe to assume he will not be available all the time. When he is unable to go or the starters need a breather, their impressive bench will be counted on to hold the fort. The aforementioned DiVincenzo, Hart, McBride, and others are some of the most solid secondary pieces around and can even start in the pinch. The Knicks will be well equipped to put up a fight, no matter who is healthy any given night.
If everything shakes out the way this team envisions it, this team will be on the doorstep of a title, at the very least.
Philadelphia 76ers
2023-24 ranks:
Offense – 14th (116.9)
Defense – 11th (113.8)
Net Rating – 8th (+3.1)
Weighted Age – 4th (28.4)
Another year, another playoff disappointment for the Sixers. Embiid once again suffered from ill timed injuries and the supporting cast wasn’t enough to get the job done. The team just barely got into the playoff picture with 47 wins after Embiid missed 28 straight games and then conquered the Miami Heat in the 7/8 Play-in Tournament matchup. From there, they engaged in an exciting 1st round series that ended with a defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks. The major highlight of the season was 1st time All-Star and most improved player Tyrese Maxey, who averaged almost 25.9 points per game and posting shooting splits of 45/37/86, even while carrying a massive load when Embiid was out of the lineup, or limited. He was finally rewarded with a maximum five year contract worth $203.8 million.
You can never have too much support next to Embiid, which is why the team decided to give a lucrative contract to Paul George in the amount of $212 million over the next four years. There is no denying that this monster contract is a huge risk with George already approaching his mid thirties and he brings some injury woes of his own that have appeared over the last few years. Regardless, it was time to retool in the face of Tobias Harris’ rapid decline and the championship window shrinking as Embiid gets older and more banged up. George will certainly bring extra punch to an offense that already features a dominant low post presence and one of the most electrifying threats in the backcourt. His off-ball prowess that was refined during the years in LA working alongside Kawhi Leonard is a perfect complement to the foundation that has already been set by excellent head coach Nick Nurse. It will probably take some time for the three to get accustomed to playing with each other, but they will be one of the most dangerous cores in the East when they all come together.
If the rest of the roster comes together, big things could be on the way for the city of brotherly love. The team used the rest of their available money to grab Ex Heatle Caleb Martin, re-sign Kelly Oubre and Kyle Lowry, bring in Drummond, trade for Reggie Jackson, and more. This team will look a whole lot different on opening night of 2024 than it did in 2023, so there will be some work to do in order to get everybody working in unison. There are many recognizable names on the roster apart from the stars, but how much do they have left in the tank? Lowry has 18 years of NBA experience under his belt. Eric Gordon has 16. Jackson has 13 and Drummond has 12. They are not spring chickens by any stretch of the imagination, but will be relied upon to play rotational minutes and even start in a pinch. Are they up for the task? We will soon find out.
The competition at the top of the East will be fierce, but with a perennial MVP candidate and two all star talents in two, the circumstances are once again ripe for Philly to rise to the top. The big question marks will be health, along with depth. Will Embiid be able to make it to the finish line (mostly) intact? Can Maxey continue his ascension and take up residence with the very best guards in the NBA? How do all of the new faces fit together? If last season’s Bucks and Celtics taught us anything, it’s that continuity and chemistry can drastically impact the performance of a team in positive and negative ways. There is a lot riding on this season for Philadelphia and hopefully the massive investments that the organization made over the summer pay off.
Toronto Raptors
2023-24 ranks:
Offense – 24th (112.3)
Defense – 25th (118.8)
Net Rating – 25th (-6.4)
Weighted Age – 19th (25.9)
The Toronto Raptors fall from grace continued last season, as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second year in a row and lost 19 out of their final 21 games. Not exactly the type of season that pleases representatives or fans of a franchise that is only five years removed from being on top of the NBA world. The biggest developments for the team over the course of last season were the acquisition of two potential franchise cornerstones: Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, two Ex-Knicks who made great first impressions on the Raptors during their initial appearances. Quickley showed flashes of his potential as a high usage lead guard with almost 6.8 assists per game in 38 starts with Toronto and Barrett discovered his shooting touch, hitting just under 40% from three in his 32 starts with his new club. Those discoveries along with a breakout for Scottie Barnes is all the team could have hoped for in what was otherwise a tough season.
Speaking of Barnes, he has officially arrived as a star in the league. He was selected to his 1st All-Star team and boosted his averages across the board. He also showed that there is real hope he has overcome his earlier shooting struggles. He finished with a TS% of 56% after topping out at 52% in 22-23. His offensive leap paired with his ferocious defensive capabilities on and off ball make him an ideal player to build around. He will be the focal point of everything the team does next season and it should be tons of fun watching him continue to evolve as an elite NBA wing.
All three of these exciting players were rewarded with new money during the offseason. Quickley got a four year, $175 million deal, Barrett will get $107 million over four years, and Barnes got maxed out at a value of $224 million over the course of the next five years. It certainly raises questions in terms of whether or not this core will be able to live up to the promise that $506 million seems to indicate. We will find out in due time but on paper, these three seem to fit together and management most likely made the right call securing three players with tons of upside to long term deals so their time for them to grow and build a sustainable culture of winning together. All three are strong defenders for the positions and that invites tons of intrigue when it comes to how stout they could be on that end when they all hit their respective primes.
Unfortunately, they still enter the coming season as long shots to get back to the postseason. There are still major questions to be answered when it comes to the roster as a whole. Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk remain in the fold and will be a strong force in the middle once again. From there, it’s a mixed bag. Gradey Dick showed promise in the 2nd half of last season, Agbaji and Davion Mitchell still haven’t quite been able to put it all together, and Ja’Kobe Walter hasn’t generated a ton of hype as the 19th pick out of Baylor. Make no mistake, this will be a transitory season for Toronto. Siakam is no longer a part of the roster after being traded to Indiana last season and neither is Anunoby after being sent to New York. The mission most of the way will be to figure out what the team’s identity will be going forward and who is good enough to join the team on its journey to the next era. In the meantime, there will be a fair amount of losses, but with some solid veterans on board, and a franchise cornerstone in toe, it would be best for opponents to avoid taking “The North” too lightly.
