Celtics 2023-24 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
The Boston Celtics will be out for revenge in 2023-24.
After falling to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals and then being eliminated from the 2023 postseason by the Miami Heat, the Celtics enter this coming season with big aspirations after making some significant roster alterations.
Boston traded Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in the three-team deal that landed them Kristaps Porziņģis from the Washington Wizards, and they also sent Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the team's main centerpieces, and they are expected to be surrounded by a starting five that includes Porziņģis, Al Horford and Derrick White.
While the perception is that the Celtics got worse over the summer by parting ways with Smart and Williams, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens needed to shake things up after two straight seasons of disappointment, and he wasn't going to part with either Tatum or Brown.
That said, the Celtics will face a tough battle in 2023-24 for the Eastern Conference crown, especially with the likes of the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks hungry for a title.
With a tough season ahead, here's a look at the schedule, championship odds and more.
2023-24 Celtics Schedule Details
Season Opener: Oct. 25 at New York Knicks, 7 p.m. ET
Championship Odds: +470, via FanDuel Sportsbook
Full Schedule: Full schedule available at NBA.com.
Top Matchups
Miami Heat
The Heat were so close to winning another title in 2023, but they fell short in the NBA Finals against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets.
Still, after claiming the Eastern Conference crown, Miami enters 2023-24 as the premier team in the Eastern Conference with the return of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
A significant shakeup to Miami's roster during the offseason came in the form of Max Strus signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Gabe Vincent signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. Both were key players down the stretch for the Heat, and now the club will have to turn to the likes of Duncan Robinson and Haywood Highsmith off the bench.
Still, after falling to the Heat in the ECF, the Celtics will be out for blood this season as they aim to restore their status atop the East.
Philadelphia 76ers
With James Harden expected to force his way out of Philadelphia via trade, the Celtics should only continue their recent dominance of the Sixers in 2023-24.
Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, P.J. Tucker and Tobias Harris are the main pieces in Philadelphia entering the season, and the Celtics should have little issue continuing to carve up the team's starting five.
Philadelphia did fire Doc Rivers as head coach following the 2022-23 season, replacing him with former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, but that may not be enough for a team that has been unable to get past the Eastern Conference semifinals in each of the last three seasons.
Season Forecast
With no replacement of Smart at point guard, the Celtics could face some difficulties in moving the ball, especially if Malcolm Brogdon misses any time due to injury.
Much of the workload will be placed on Tatum and Brown, as expected, but Porziņģis is going to be called upon much more heavily, and that could be a problem based on his past health issues.
That said, the Celtics still have a better roster on paper than many of the teams in the Eastern Conference, and with head coach Joe Mazzulla having his first full season under his belt, he should be better equipped to deal with the trials and tribulations of the NBA season.
There's little question the Celtics will make the postseason in 2023-24, though if they don't reach the NBA Finals there's going to be plenty of questions to be answered ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Record Prediction: 53-29
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