With the 2024-25 season Boston Celtics With the season fast approaching, we reached out to some people in the The Celts Media Corp to get a sense of the burning questions the team will face this year. We’ve already look at The one who could be the most interesting player is right in the Boston locker room.
For part two of our series, we asked our panel of experts what they thought of the top of the Eastern Conference. A few teams like the The Philadelphia 76ers And The New York Knicks do main improvements this offseason, but will it be enough to beat the Celtics to lead the East Division? Who is Boston’s biggest threat next campaign?
Bobby Krivitsky – Boston Celtics in Sports Illustrated
The Knicks. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are the best defensive duos to try to slow down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Having Josh Hart as a third option to help with those responsibilities is a luxury.
Offensively, Bridges should benefit from his stint as the Nets’ leading scorer. He and Jalen Brunson will make each other’s lives easier.
Jack Simone – The Hardwood Houdini
The New York Knicks.
The addition of Mikal Bridges solidifies the Knicks as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, regardless of Paul George’s arrival to the Philadelphia 76ers. Not only is Jalen Brunson one of the NBA’s top 10 players, but with Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart, the Knicks are now the team best equipped to beat the Celtics.
Sam LaFrance – CelticsBlog, What do you think of the Celtics, SI now
It’s New York, but it’s also about health. I think the Celtics can handle whoever gets in their way in the East if everyone is healthy.
The Knicks feel like the team that made moves just to beat Boston, so it’s definitely going to be them. Philly is going to have to earn some respect after years of failure, I don’t care who they go after. Who knows what to think of Milwaukee after the disaster we saw them turn into last season.
Alex Goldberg – The Celtic Lab Podcast
Assuming the players are healthy, the 76ers enter the season with the roster best equipped to challenge Boston.
That being said, I don’t think we know how dangerous a healthy Giannis (Antetokounmpo) can be come playoff time.
Noa Dalzell – SB Nation
It’s a toss-up between a few contenders, but I’d pick the Knicks, given their depth and the fact that they’ve shown they have grit and the ability to pull off decisive victories.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Jalen Brunson has the best season of any player in the Eastern Conference next season, and I think a healthy OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges will have a huge impact.
Justin Quinn – Celtics Wire
Barring several injuries to players playing big minutes in the playoffs, there isn’t a serious threat as things stand, but the Knicks are in the best position to challenge them, and they may need a big player to become a real threat.
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This article was originally published on Celtics Wire: Boston Celtics, the biggest threat in the Eastern Conference
