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A month-by-month look at the Boston Celtics 2024-25 NBA schedule. <\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all seen it by now. On Thursday, the NBA released the Boston Celtics<\/a> schedule for the 2024-25 NBA season.<\/p>\n Joe Mazzulla\u2019s team will begin the new season without Kristaps Porzingis, who continues to rehab following surgery. An official timeline hasn\u2019t been set for his return. However, the common consensus seems to be late December or early January.<\/p>\n Outside of Porzingis, the Celtics are expected to enter the season at full strength. Baylor Scheierman is the only new face on the main roster. He will undoubtedly fight to earn some playing time throughout his rookie season but will face an uphill battle trying to crack into a championship-winning rotation.<\/p>\n The Celtics have favored continuity this summer, a move that will likely pay dividends if everybody remains on the same page as last season.<\/p>\n With all that being said, Boston\u2019s chances of success will come down to the internal development of the roster. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum can still add wrinkles to their game. Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard are young enough to continue improving. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday will be a stronger duo in year two.<\/p>\n You can go down the entire roster and give reasons why the Celtics could be better than last year. I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll do just that at some point in the dead of the offseason, but not today. Today, I want to look at each month of the upcoming season so we can pick out the key games, potential traps, and underrated matchups.<\/p>\n Key Dates: <\/strong><\/p>\n The season officially starts on October 22. Two days earlier, I would have turned 37 years young. I always love how the NBA gives me an awesome gift by starting the season around my birthday.<\/p>\n Mazzulla\u2019s team will play five games in the opening 10 days as they get eased into things before the schedule picks up pace. Still, matchups against the Knicks, Bucks and Pacers will ensure that there\u2019s no grace period for the reigning NBA champions.<\/p>\n All three of those teams will come into the season believing they can challenge for a championship. New York added Mikal Bridges this summer, building on the addition of OG Anunoby last season. They will be one of the toughest teams in the East and will have a legitimate defensive identity. Beating them on opening night won\u2019t be easy.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve still got my questions about the Bucks. Yes, they added Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr. and Delon Wright during the summer, but the bigger questions about their roster continue to linger. Can Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard figure it out? Can Brook Lopez continue to anchor their defense? And will we ever see Khris Middleton bounce back to his best?<\/p>\n Indiana is a fun test. They play fast. They play hard. They\u2019re young, hungry and talented. And they have a score to settle following their Eastern Conference Finals loss.<\/p>\n In between those games, Boston has trips to Washington and Detroit. Both of those games should end in wins. The Washington Wizards<\/a> and Detroit Pistons<\/a> are rebuilding teams. Boston should be fresh enough to have no concern over potential trap games, and the travel shouldn\u2019t be enough of a factor here, either.<\/p>\n Toughest game: <\/strong>The Milwaukee Bucks. I feel like they have the most to prove out of these five teams after their second straight first-round exit last season. They\u2019ll have this game circled on their calendar for sure. <\/p>\n Key dates: <\/strong><\/p>\n November is a tricky one. The Celtics have a total of 14 games in 30 days, with a perfectly even split of road and home games. They also have their NBA cup schedule sprinkled into the month, where they will face the Atlanta Hawks<\/a>, Cavaliers, Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls. <\/p>\n In case you missed it, Tim Sheils and I shared thoughts on Boston\u2019s favorable NBA Cup schedule earlier this week.<\/p>\nOctober<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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November<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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