We’re one step nearer to the beginning of the 2025-26 NBA season. On Thursday, August 14, the NBA launched the regular-season schedule for each workforce within the NBA. In fact, the one schedule we actually care about is the one for the Boston Celtics.
When you haven’t seen the complete schedule but, the Celtics posted it on their Twitter account yesterday…
1: A brutal begin to the season
The Celtics face a gruelling eight-game stretch to open the season. They’ve:
Out of these groups, solely the Sixers and Pelicans didn’t make the playoffs final season. The difficulty is, the Sixers are a greater workforce than they confirmed final season, and if wholesome, must be a tricky opponent (though, I don’t anticipate them to be wholesome, a minimum of to start the season).
Whereas the Pelicans have made some strikes this summer time, they possible hope these strikes will present some steadiness to the rotation.
If we’re being practical, maybe with a aspect order of pessimism, there’s an excellent probability the Celtics might begin the 2025-26 season with a 3-5 report. I’d hope they’ll beat the Sixers on each events – assuming no Joel Embiid and Paul George – after which overcome the Pelicans. However exterior of that, wins shall be powerful to return by.
Not the simplest of begins by any stretch, however we’ll be taught loads in regards to the workforce and the mindset we are able to anticipate from them for the remainder of the season.
2: A season-defining stretch
I’ve earmarked December 26 (which right here within the UK, we name Boxing Day, don’t ask me why) to January 26, as what might be a season-defining stretch for the Celtics.
Throughout that one-month interval, Boston embarks on a five-game street swing in opposition to the Indiana Pacers, Portland Path Blazers, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings and LA Clippers.
Apparently, there’s little relaxation after the workforce lands again in Boston, as they face the Clippers on January 3 after which are on the TD Backyard in opposition to the Chicago Bulls on January 5. That sport in opposition to Billy Donovan’s workforce begins a five-game house stand earlier than the workforce embarks on a four-game journey across the Jap Convention.
In complete, the Celtics will play 17 video games in the course of the Dec. 26 – Jan. 26 stretch, with two street journeys sandwiched in for good measure. This can even be across the time we begin to see Mazzulla cement his lineups, after what’s going to possible be a number of months of experimenting with rotations, substitution patterns and lineup mixtures.
We should always have a very robust concept about what Mazzulla’s core rotation goes to appear to be, what kind of workforce they’re attempting to be, and whether or not they have a shot at making the postseason (or making noise within the postseason) by the point this stretch involves an finish.
There’s loads to be taught on this one-month run..
3: An ideal run to spice up Anfernee Simons’ commerce worth
Final season, because the commerce deadline started to attract nearer, we noticed Jaden Springer earn an even bigger function inside Mazzulla’s rotation. And whereas Springer had some spectacular performances, it was clear Boston had a transparent motive: increase his commerce worth earlier than exploring his market.
So, it is sensible that we might see the Celtics do the identical with Anfernee Simons, too. Happily for Boston, there’s an excellent stretch of video games the place they may improve his utilization fee to showcase his scoring potential. That stretch would begin on Jan. 30 in opposition to the Sacramento Kings, and comply with that with the Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, with the sport in opposition to Ime Udoka’s workforce coming 24 or 48 hours earlier than the commerce deadline, relying on when it falls.
If Simons can have some robust showings in opposition to a trio of playoff groups, two of which see themselves as contenders, whereas additionally placing up numbers in opposition to the Kings, his worth might definitely take a leap. Then, it will be as much as Brad Stevens to attempt to leverage Simons’ talent set and expiring deal into some viable property (participant and/or draft).
I’m, nevertheless, making that every one sound far simpler than it truly is.
4: The standard, and brutal, West Coast swing
It’s inevitable that a minimum of as soon as in a season, the Celtics will face a treacherous street stretch. This season, that may come within the type of a four-game stretch out on the West Coast between Feb. 19 and Feb. 25. Throughout that run, Boston will play the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.
In recent times, I’ve used this powerful street swing to gauge how shut the Celtics are to reaching their peak when it comes to manufacturing and postseason preparations. The hope is normally that they a minimum of cut up these video games.
Once more, if we take a sensible strategy, with a pleasant aspect of pessimism, Boston might be again on a flight house with a 0-4 report from this journey. All 4 opponents are prone to be playoff groups, and three of them (sorry, Phoenix) are potential championship contenders. That’s a tricky run for a Celtics workforce that’s missing in depth and high-end rotation expertise.
Nonetheless, I’d very very similar to a win in opposition to the Lakers on the Crypto.com area…If Mazzulla’s workforce can pull that off, the remainder of that street journey received’t maintain a lot emotional weight, a minimum of for me.
5: The Depth Check Home windows
I’ve three depth-test home windows circled on the brand new schedule. What I imply by that is lengthy stretches of video games with minimal relaxation and/or a excessive stage of competitors, the place Mazzulla could profit by going deeper into his bench rotation at instances.
The primary and most arduous window comes throughout a 17-game stretch in a single month between Dec. 26 and Jan. 26. The window opens with back-to-back video games in opposition to the Miami Warmth and Toronto Raptors. There’s additionally a tricky five-game street swing, and restricted relaxation days regardless of a big quantity of journey. This stretch is especially brutal as a result of it hits proper when the season’s bodily toll begins mounting, and an harm to a key rotation participant might rapidly spiral into catastrophe.
The second window is available in March, when the Celtics have six video games in 12 days, in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies. This window will happen between March 10 to March 22. By this level within the season, legs are sometimes at their heaviest, which might make the deep bench look reasonably tantalizing to the teaching employees.
My third and last window comes between April 1 and April 12, because the Celtics finish their season with six video games in twelve days, 4 of them being on the street. And contemplating that it will likely be the ultimate run, it’s truthful to imagine some drained legs and a number of guys taking relaxation days, particularly if Boston finds itself in a play-in match state of affairs.
Throughout these stretches, I’ll be holding a detailed eye on rotation minutes, substitution patterns and the way keen Mazzulla is to belief his deep bench.
CelticsBlog graciously allowed this text to be cross-posted from my rising “Celtics Chronicle” e-newsletter.
