How should the Boston Celtics approach the 2025 NBA draft?
How should the Boston Celtics approach the 2025 NBA draft set to arrive near the end of the month on Wed., June 25? The Celtics have two selections to make use of in the 2025 draft, a pick in the first round at No. 28 overall, and another in the second round at No. 32. Boston could find some helpful, cheap depth at those positions, perhaps even good enough to have an immediate if not outsized impact in a season they will be needing extra help with star forward Jayson Tatum out for much if not all of the season.
They could also use those two picks and perhaps future draft assets as well to move up in the pecking order to snatch a prime prospect if someone interesting drops. They could also trade back to pick up additional assets, as they have done in the past with the selection that ultimately brought back forward Jordan Walsh and other late seconds.
The host behind the "Celtics Rundown" podcast Bobby Krivitsky put together a show with guest Matt Babcock taking a deep dive into the subject. Check it out below!
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As we sit here in August, the only team that appears to be on the same level as the Knicks in the East is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who, after an Eastern Conference-leading 64 wins last season, fell short in the second round of the NBA playoffs to the Indiana Pacers. Cleveland did dominate New York during the regular season last year, and maybe that is where some of the cautiousness comes from for Knicks fans. The Cavaliers have more continuity than the Knicks, and I could see that leading to a better regular-season record if New York takes a bit to find its footing under a new head coach. That said, one of the Cavaliers or Knicks will be the No. 1 seed in the East (barring injuries of course). We'll see how these two teams match up against one another relatively soon, as they open the season against one another and then play again on Christmas. Advertisement Of all the questions on this survey, this result was the one I was most curious about. When talking to fans in-person and online, there seems to be a healthy split when it comes to this question. The results somewhat show the same thing. Ultimately, I think fans grew tired of Thibodeau's reliance upon his starters, his lack of experimentation until the Knicks were deep in the playoffs and, well, after five years, people just like change. Do I think Thibodeau deserved to be fired? I don't. I thought he deserved one more year after all he's done to help turn New York back into a respectable organization on the court. Do I understand why he got fired? I do. The decision to fire Thibodeau could be one that either makes the decision-makers look like geniuses or, potentially, sets the franchise back a bit. We'll find out soon enough. This is somewhat how I thought the result of this question would shake out. Brown has had a long coaching career that has been met with both highs and lows. He's respected around the NBA but doesn't come with the championship pedigree (as a head coach) that I'm sure some fans would have liked after what transpired last season. Brown has a lot of the credentials you'd want from someone running the show, but I'm not sure he'd be considered a 'splashy' hire. Brown and the front office will absorb all of the pressure this coming season. Brown is the only major change from a team that went far last season, and the front office made the decision to change bodies in that first chair. The owner will face pressure, too, but he owns the team. So, is it really pressure? He won't fire himself. The veteran coach deserves the benefit of the doubt out of the gate. Brown has accomplished enough in this league to make you believe that, with this team, he could be the voice needed to help the Knicks reach the mountaintop. Advertisement Another split across the board for the most part, and I believe this is the proper reaction to this question. Not everyone was on the same page. And, no, this wasn't the best cycle to fire an accomplished coach and look for a new head coach. Yet, with those two things said, the Knicks did their due diligence, no matter how funky the process looked. Now, one could say they were forced to do their due diligence because of how and when Thibodeau was let go. Those people wouldn't be incorrect. However, given the circumstances, I did think New York turned over a lot of stones to make sure it found what it believes to be the best candidate available. We'll find out soon enough if the Knicks' process led to the results they were looking for. If the survey was done before the playoffs, I wonder if the results would have had a little more blue… After being traded for a handful of draft picks last summer, Bridges' introduction to Manhattan was met with mixed reviews. 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He was one of the 15 best players in the NBA last season, had his most efficient shooting season in three years and, like Bridges, played a big part in the Knicks making the Eastern Conference finals. Towns has his limitations defensively, but everyone knew that when the trade happened. His offense popped despite optimal spacing, and there's more there for Brown to try and unlock. As it pertains to Towns, the Knicks need to find out if they can win at the highest level with him playing center primarily or if he needs another traditional, rim-protecting center alongside him. The Timberwolves thought they answered that question and now New York must do it sooner rather than later. The fan response here is correlated to what I was talking about above. Fans, too, feel like pairing Towns with a more traditional, defensive-minded center like Mitchell Robinson is the best way to go in order to maximize this team's ceiling. 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It makes sense. Brown and Co. get two years to figure it out from the viewpoint of the fans. That seems reasonable. Of all the questions on this survey, this was the one result I was most sure of. Brunson, yet again, was one of the best 10 players in the NBA. He was the most clutch player in basketball. He had ridiculously good playoff performances. Brunson is the best player on the team and has, maybe more than anyone, been critical to the Knicks' on-court resurgence in recent years. The fans love Brunson. Brunson loves the fans. This is a perfect marriage. Maybe Brunson never brings a title to New York. There are too many factors that impact that result outside of Brunson's control. And even if he never does, Brunson has proven that, year after year, he is one of the best players in the game. The case could be made that a team with two limited defenders playing major minutes can't win a title. That's understandable. 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