What went wrong for the Boston Celtics vs. the New York Knicks in the 2025 East Semis?
What went wrong for the Boston Celtics vs. the New York Knicks in the 2025 East Semis?
What went wrong for the Boston Celtics vs. the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals? The Celtics fell in six games to the Knicks after a litany of injuries to Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and others derailed Boston's defense of their 2024 NBA Championship in surprising fashion.
But it was not just health concerns that had the Celtics crash out of contention for the '25 title. From the deep rotation to the coaching, there are things one can point to that could have gone better for Boston. What might have been changed to salvage the season, if anything?
Cohosts of the CLNS Media "Garden Report" podcast, Bobby Manning and Noa Dalzell, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below!
If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: https://ytubl.ink/3Ffk
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
On this day: 1984 championship; hire Ford as coach; Seminoff, Hoefer pass
On this day: 1984 championship; hire Ford as coach; Seminoff, Hoefer pass On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team won their 15th championship with a 111-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals, despite a push that got Los Angeles within three points late in the final frame. Forward Cedric Maxwell led Boston with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, point guard Dennis Johnson added 22 points and 6 boards, forward Larry Bird 20 points, and 12 rebounds, and center Robert Parish 14 points and 16 rebounds. Shooting guard Danny Ainge and forward Kevin McHale chipped in 10 points each off the bench. Bird would be named Finals Most Valuable Player of the eighth Finals meeting between the two teams, all of which had been won by Boston. It was also the first title the Celtics had won at home since 1966. It is also the anniversary of the Celtics hiring Chris Ford as head coach in the summer of 1990. Replacing Jimmy Rodgers in that role after Rodgers was sacked for a first-round exit against the New York Knicks the previous spring, Ford was elevated from an assistant to take his place. He would be fired in May 1995 due to the team's continued decline that was in truth mostly unrelated to his coaching abilities. "We had all that stuff going on, there was talk of Chris getting fired (months ago), there were a lot of things going on among the players -- it was tough," related guard Dee Brown via the Hartford Courant's Michael Arace. "(Ford) finally got the effort he was looking for (in the playoffs). He's wanted all over the league right now." Ford would coach the Celtics for five seasons, amassing a 222-188 regular-season record and a 13-16 playoff record, good for .541 and .448 winning percentages respectively. Today is also the day that Adolph Charles "Dutch" Hoefer left us in 1983. The Frankfurt native was born in Germany in 1921 and played collegiate ball at Queens College of New York City and signed with the (now defunct) Toronto Huskies of the Basketball Association of America (BAA - a precursor league of the NBA) in the inaugural season of the league. He'd soon be traded to Boston, where he'd finish his career in 42 games over two seasons with the Celtics, recording 5.3 points per game over that stretch before calling it quits for good -- rest in peace. Jim Seminoff also took leave of us for good on this date in 2001. The former USC wing saw his contract sold to the Celtics by the (also defunct) Chicago Stags in the season after Hoefer retired in 1948-49, and Boston was also the last stop of Seminoff's NBA career. He appeared in 123 games total for the Celtics, putting up 6.3 points and 2.6 assists per game. Rest in peace.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Celtics trade rankings: Predicting which players are most likely to be dealt
When Jayson Tatum ruptured his Achilles in Game 4 of a second-round loss to the New York Knicks, the range of potential outcomes for the Celtics' offseason expanded. Staring at a salary-cap mess, they would have likely needed to stomach significant change anyway, but the injury brought additional possibilities into play. Advertisement Just by keeping their players already under contract and their two draft choices, the Celtics would be committed to more than $230 million in salary next season, which would be more than $40 million above the projected luxury-tax threshold. With the repeater tax set to hit them hard, their total payroll, including luxury taxes, would reach around $500 million in that scenario. Because of that astronomical number, which would produce the most expensive roster in NBA history, it was safe to assume the Celtics would trade at least one key player this offseason anyway. Then Tatum went down, the team's chances of winning a championship next season took a huge hit, and the possibility of an even bigger shakeup arose. One looming question for the Celtics is how much salary they want to trim. If their goal is to just get under the second apron, they should be able to do that relatively simply, though even that path would require shedding more than $20 million in salary. But with Tatum set to miss most of next season, if not all of it, the team could opt for more drastic cost-cutting measures. If they trim more than $40 million to get under the luxury tax next season and stay there in the following season, they would reset the repeater tax and give themselves more future flexibility. Among other factors that Brad Stevens will need to weigh, the desires of new ownership should help dictate the path the Celtics take this summer. Even if the front office decides cutting more salary and escaping the luxury tax entirely would be smart given Tatum's status, would Bill Chisholm want to oversee a teardown during his first offseason? He is taking over the Celtics at a challenging time, given all the difficult decisions they will need to make this summer and the pressures on them to lower their payroll. So, who would the Celtics trade? I'm glad you asked. Below, we placed the players into tiers based on their likelihood of being traded this offseason. Tier 1 includes the players most likely to be relocated. Tier 7 features the player most likely to stay. Free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet were not included on this list. Advertisement Even if the Celtics take a less aggressive approach to salary cutting, Holiday is an obvious trade candidate. Set to turn 35 this week, he could be 36 by the time Tatum plays his next game. Holiday's offense dipped this past season, but he remains one of the best defenders alive and a great locker-room influence. Though his contract isn't exactly team-friendly at this point, he's the type of veteran contending teams should want. The Celtics would miss him, but their financial demands are what they are. And their financial situation suggests they will need to trade at least one starter. When healthy, Porziņģis has given the Celtics the inside-outside threat they envisioned when acquiring him in 2023. Still, he has missed 65 regular-season games over two campaigns with Boston and failed to hold up physically during two consecutive playoff runs. If his latest ineffective postseason plummeted his trade value too far, the Celtics could simply keep him. He averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game this season, after all, and remains one of the league's most talented big men. Still, moving his expiring contract would help them address financial concerns, and he hasn't proven the Celtics can depend on him when it matters most. The primary reason the Celtics would consider trading Hauser is extremely simple. As the payroll currently stands, they would cut about $90 million in salary and luxury-tax payments by trading him without taking back any money. Moving Hauser and either Holiday or Porziņģis could be enough for the Celtics to dip under the second apron, depending on how much salary they take back in the trades. If they do need to trim extra salary or lower their luxury-tax payments, Hauser's $10 million for next season should be easy enough to move; it fits into the mid-level exception, which can now be used by teams under the first apron to acquire players via trade. Every team needs shooters with size, and he's one of the best — and he's only beginning a team-friendly contract extension. As enticing as it could be to trade Hauser for financial purposes, the rest of the roster is fluid enough that the impact of such a move could easily change. The Celtics could shed enough money in other ways to hold onto Hauser's contract, which will pay him $45 million over the next four seasons. Advertisement To escape the luxury tax entirely, the Celtics would need to eliminate more than $40 million of salary. If that is a goal for the front office, a trade of Brown and/or Derrick White would become more realistic. Trading Brown would be painful. The front office should only consider doing it for the right price — a high one. But if Tatum's injury convinces the Celtics to take a short-term step back, a Brown trade could help them load up on draft picks and young talent while shedding significant salary. That path might not sound ideal to fans, but the collective bargaining agreement is harsh, and the Celtics' short-term outlook changed the moment Tatum went down. The team announced Wednesday that Brown, bothered by right knee issues late in the season, underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure, but he is expected to be ready without any limitations for training camp. Is there a more complementary player in the NBA? White would fit on any team. He has elevated the Celtics on both ends of the court. They would surely be hesitant to trade him, but he will turn 31 in July, and the market for him would be robust. Like with Brown, the price for White would (and should) be sky-high. Under the old CBA, players near the end of a roster were often in danger of moving because their salaries would be useful in a trade. Think back to the 2022 offseason, when the Celtics included a heap of deep-bench reserves in their trade for Malcolm Brogdon. In addition to Daniel Theis and Aaron Nesmith, Boston sent Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan and Nik Stauskas to Indiana in that deal for salary-matching purposes. Unless you're a die-hard fan who knows the legend of Sauce Castillo, you're probably wondering to yourself, 'Who? They played for the Celtics?' But as a second-apron team under the new CBA, the Celtics are unable to aggregate salaries in a trade. That means that they could still trade any of these players, but the likelihood isn't as high as it would have been a few years ago. These two get their own category. They aren't at all untouchable, but should get more playing time to develop while Tatum is sidelined. Every team needs wings with size who can play. The Celtics still need to figure out whether Scheierman or Walsh can play, but should have a better idea of that after next season, assuming they remain on the roster. Advertisement Why is Hauser a candidate to be used in a salary dump but Pritchard, also on a team-friendly deal that would fit into another team's MLE, one of the most likely Celtics to stay? Because 1) moving Hauser without receiving a player in return would save the team more money, and 2) Pritchard has played himself beyond that point. Without Tatum, Pritchard should be one of the Celtics' primary shot creators and could be in for a big season. He is ready to shoulder more responsibilities in the short- and long-term. His injury will complicate everything for the Celtics, but he's not going anywhere.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Are the Boston Celtics interested in signing EuroLeague forward Nigel Hayes-Davis?
Are the Boston Celtics interested in signing EuroLeague forward Nigel Hayes-Davis? Are the Boston Celtics interested in signing EuroLeague forward Nigel Hayes-Davis? Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was recently spotted in Turkiye at a Fenerbahce game, with reporting on his visit relating he was at the Basketball Super League and EuroLeague team tilt to scout Hayes-Davis. Why would the Boston coach make the transatlantic trip to see a player so far from home? Do the Celtics have interest in signing the 3-and-D forward back to the NBA? And if they did, what would it likely take in terms of a contract buyout and salary to convince him to sign with Boston? There will be time at the power forward spot for much or all of next season with star forward Jayson Tatum out as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon. The folks behind the "Cyro Asseo" YouTube channel put together a clip taking a deep dive into the news that broke earlier this week on what Mazzulla has been doing in his unexpectedly long offseason. Check it out below!
