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With the 2024-25 NBA season about to begin, it’s time to make predictions! Will there be a new champion this year? Our writers give their opinion.
Who will win the East?
Vincent Goodwill: Celts. It won’t be as easy as last year, the spring path was perfectly prepared for the Celtics, who hardly had any challenges. But trusting the Knicks or the 76ers seems like too much of a task at the moment, and who knows if the Bucks can achieve true consistency beyond tantalizing stretches. The Celtics are motivated enough and certainly complete enough to overcome the challenge and be ready for June.
Kevin O’Connor: Celts. They brought everyone back and could be even better next season thanks to their still young core. I hope they win 60+ games as the best and deepest team in the East once again.
Dan Devine: Celts. They return the entire rotation from the team that decimated the league last season. They now know how to play Joe Mazzulla’s style, and he seems determined to push his boundaries even further. Despite being champions with contracts exceeding $300 million, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have responsibilities on their shoulders, and with all due respect to Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and Paul George, I have yet to find a better top six. I’m not saying Boston is unbeatable. I just won’t pick anyone in the East to beat them.
Ben Rohrbach: Celts. What did the East do to close the 14-game gap between Boston and second place? The 76ers added Paul George, who is already injured, and the Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns, who, according to a league source, is not his coach’s biggest fan. Maybe one of them will challenge the Celtics to more than a five-game series this time.
Tom Haberstroh: Celts. The only question mark is Kristaps Porziņģis, but they should sweep the East just like they did last season. Even if everything goes well in Milwaukee, Philadelphia or New York, the Celtics have enough ammunition to withstand a push from the bottom tier.
Dan Tito: Celts. Most of the Eastern Conference’s (serious) contenders gained wing depth to match Boston’s duo of Tatum and Brown, but it won’t matter. The field has too many holes and question marks to defeat a team like the Celtics. Remember, the Celtics went 12-2 in the playoffs before reaching the NBA Finals last season. They own the East.
Who will win the West?
Rohrbach: Thunder. They are the most complete team in the West. At the very least, it will take some time for the Timberwolves to get used to the Towns trade. The Nuggets lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Mavericks have too many problems on defense. Meanwhile, OKC added two of the NBA’s best role players to fill the few holes left on last season’s 57-win team.
Haberstroh: Thunder. It can be argued that every contender in the West took a step back this offseason, except the Thunder. OKC added Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein as the rest of the roster inched closer to their prime. Hartenstein’s injury will itch, but like ripping off a Band-Aid, it will only hurt for a little while.
Titus: Mavericks. Last season was no fluke, and having a dynamic duo of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving leading an improved supporting cast of spacers and defenders will help the Mavs return to the Finals. OKC doesn’t have the experience, the Suns aren’t reliable, and Memphis and Minnesota aren’t ready yet.
O’Connor: Thunder. They won 57 games last season and solved both of their problems by bringing in Caruso and Hartenstein. With Sam Presti sitting on a mountain of assets, they can also make any acquisitions they need.
Goodwill: Timber Wolves. It’s too tempting to go with the Thunder and it’s no surprise they’re the favorites. At this point, you are flipping a coin. Going all-in with Edwards, Chris Finch and even Rudy Gobert seems a bit risky, but they will bounce back and reach postseason form even with the increased attention after last year’s success. To be honest, one can imagine five teams playing in June. It’s just that in this simulation, betting on the stamina of a 23-year-old seems prudent, if you can ever be prudent with a 23-year-old.
Divine: Thunder. They tested their core last postseason, found their weaknesses and strengthened them with two of the best role players in the NBA. Progress is not always linear; However, in this case I think it will be exponential.
Who will be the NBA champions?
O’Connor: Celts. I’ll play them against the Thunder in 6. Boston has been through this before and has the pieces to match OKC. However, if this team is indeed the matchup, it probably won’t be the last time they meet in the NBA Finals.
Divine: Thunder. Boston vs. Oklahoma City will be a big Spider-Man aiming for the Spider-Man meme: two teams that play with 5 outs to drive and kick, that can play big doubles without sacrificing spacing and playmaking, that can downsize without being too small on the perimeter, and who have shooting, passing, driving, cutting, protection and defensive steel in each position. But one of those Spider-Men is a little older and just played a 101-game season; one of them is younger, deeper and maybe a little hungrier. OKC wins the race for the prize; up to the forefront.
Goodwill: Celts. Clashes, confrontations. It feels like Boston is destined to be here, while the West will be a challenge. Getting enough rest during the marathon could be the key, along with home field advantage. Tatum and Brown, individually motivated, could spark another title race against whoever is on the other side. Continuity and health are key reasons why there hasn’t been a repeat champion since the 2018 Warriors. The C’s are healthy enough at the top to hold their own, and probably arrogant enough to do it again and rub it in everyone’s face. in the face.
Haberstroh: Thunder. They improved their lateral defense and reinforced the center. I don’t see any holes in this team. I’m worried the Celtics won’t have the stamina to get him back. The Thunder will be ready.
Titus: Celts. It’s chalky, but Boston is another ring away from approaching dynasty conversations. The road through the Western Conference is tough, and seeing Boston as the final boss to win a ship is even worse. Boston has arguably the best-built roster in the league and is committed to doing whatever it takes to win. “Celtics at 6 with Jayson Tatum winning Finals MVP”.
Rohrbach: Celts. They have the best starting lineup in the league by a wide margin. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are 26 and 27 years old, respectively, and the Olympics gave them both reasons to stay motivated after winning a championship. Considering the possibility that Kristaps Porzingis can be healthy for the playoffs and Tatum can snap out of his shooting slump, the Celtics could very well be better, and that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.