Boston Celtics
Heading into the season, it’s natural for the Boston Celtics to be one of the betting favorites to win the 2024 NBA Championship. With the talent that they have on their roster, it would be outrageous for them not to be considered one of the heavy favorites to win the championship. However, despite their raw talent on paper, there’s one big concern that could end up derailing their quest to win a title.
And it’s the fact that they’ve essentially decided to go all-in on a player that historically can’t stay healthy. In a blockbuster move, the Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team deal. Part of that trade included sending Marcus Smart, arguably the heart and soul of the team, to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The season hasn’t even started and KP is already dealing with a foot injury. He had to pull out of the FIBA World Cup and while the expectation is that he’ll be ready for the start of training camp, I’m not sure how there can be any confidence in that.
KP has only played more than 60 games in a season three times in his career, and just once in the last six seasons. Not only do the Celtics have to overcome the loss of Smart but they also have to trust a player that is almost never healthy to remain healthy for an entire season and playoff run.
That sounds mighty risky, and like a disaster waiting to happen.