Four Storylines To Watch Out For During Celtics’ 2023-24 Season

After falling in seven games to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals last season, the Boston Celtics made some blockbuster trades in order to bolster their roster ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

In the first move, Boston parted ways with Marcus Smart even though many thought he was the heart and soul of the franchise in order to bring in Kristaps Porzingis.

Then after months of speculation, the Celtics pulled the trigger again when they traded Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III to the Portland Trail Blazers for veteran guard Jrue Holiday.

Among the moves, Boston also signed star guard Jaylen Brown to a historic five-year supermax extension and locked down role player Payton Pritchard to a four-year extension after struggling to find consistent playing time last season.

Were these moves and extensions enough to help the Celtics in their pursuit of Banner No. 18? Let’s examine each as we dive deeper into what to expect from Boston’s new-look roster before the Celtics tip off their regular-season schedule Wednesday night against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

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1. Is Jrue Holiday the right replacement for Marcus Smart?
Holiday has competed in five more seasons than Smart and has an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks. While Smart has won Defensive Player of the Year once in his career, both players were named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team three times. Statistics is where the meter tips in favor of Holiday. The 33-year-old newcomer averages 16.4 points per game compared to 10.6 for Smart. Holiday also has higher numbers in rebounds (4.1) and assists (6.5), while Smart averaged 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Steals are fairly even at 1.5 for Holiday and 1.6 for Smart.

During preseason action, Holiday looked as good as advertised especially when he’s on the court with Derrick White. The duo have shown together that Celtics opponents will have a defensive wall to get through on their way to the basket.

2. Is Payton Pritchard ready to show he’s worth the contract extension?
In his first preseason game after signing his new contract, Pritchard led all scorers with 26 points in Boston’s 114-106 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. In his first three preseason games, the 25-year-old guard has not only averaged 21.3 points per game but was red hot from beyond the arc, converting on 41.9% of shots taken.

Pritchard, like the rest of the team, came into training camp ready for the season and “out for blood” according to Sam Hauser. So far he has silenced his critics and the hype should continue to escalate if he can continue to produce off the bench.

3. Is Kristaps Porzingis the missing puzzle piece to get the Celtics over the hump?
While losing fan favorites is never an easy thing to get over, having the new arrivals quickly gelling with the team is a quick way to heal. Porzingis is more than just building chemistry with his teammates, he’s been a consistent presence that opens up the game for himself as well as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. With the trio on the court, opposing teams will have a hard time shutting down the offense, especially with Porzingis’ 7-foot-3 frame, shooting ability and sheer determination.

4. Will Jaylen Brown silence the naysayers regarding his supermax contract?
NBA experts have chimed in regarding Brown’s mind-blowing $304 million deal. Some have ripped the contract like Rick Barry while others like JJ Redick believe the contract is right for the Celtics, but feel other players should be making more than Brown. If the deal is right for the Celtics, it’s not Brown’s responsibility to make sure others earn their payday. His sole responsibility is to help the Boston Celtics achieve the goal of securing their 18th title in franchise history.

Brown has been inconsistent, especially in the playoffs, and has taken a lot of flack for that. With the addition of Porzingis, there shouldn’t be as much pressure on Brown, or Tatum for that matter, to be at the top of their game, night in and night out. Brown himself said the “excitement level is high” surrounding the Celtics and he’s ready to perform once the season gets underway.