Celtics Predicted to Repeat as NBA Champs in Finals Matchup vs. Thunder by Insiders

ESPN released its NBA offseason survey on Tuesday, polling 18 NBA coaches, scouts and executives about the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Unsurprisingly, the Boston Celtics received the most votes to repeat as champions (eight), though the Oklahoma City Thunder were nipping on their heels at seven votes. The Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves each received one vote.

The Celtics topping those predictions doesn't come as a huge surprise. The team will return every one of its starters from the best lineup in basketball—Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis and Derrick White are all back.

The bigger surprise may be the young Thunder earning just one vote less than the Celtics. OKC finished the 2023-24 season atop the Western Conference standings but fell in the second round of the playoffs to the Mavs, who went on to the NBA Finals.

Also of note was a trio of teams that didn't receive a single vote in the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks.

The loss of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency perhaps hurt Denver's title chances in the eyes of the voters, though the starting lineup will still include three-time MVP Nikola Jokić alongside Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets should have something to say about how the West plays out.

The Sixers, meanwhile, totally revamped their roster around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, making the biggest free agent splash of the summer by signing Paul George. Philly looks to have built the best roster in the Embiid era, though questions about health and continuity in year one of this lineup construction can't be ignored.

Finally, the Knicks added Mikal Bridges to the roster this summer, giving them the sort of wing presence and defensive acumen to give a team like the Celtics real issues. The question is whether Jalen Brunson can truly be the top option on a contending team, or whether New York's offense may struggle to match the firepower of other top teams.