Where Do Celtics Land in New NBA Power Rankings Following Mini Slump?
The Boston Celtics are one of the best teams in the league as we approach the halfway mark of the 2024-25 season.
The Celtics are elite, with a 28-11 record and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Boston is coming off a rough week by their standards, as they've gone 2-2 in their last four games. Because of their struggles last week, the Celtics remain at the No. 3 spot in the latest NBA power rankings, according to John Schuhmann of NBA.com.
"The bigger difference has been on their end of the floor, with the last three games being just the eighth, ninth and 10th times, respectively, they’ve taken less than half of their shots from beyond the arc. They’ve also shot just 27% from deep over the four-game stretch, with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard a combined 9-for-59 (15%). According to tracking data, 47% of their 3-point attempts have been wide open over the four games, a rate above their season-long mark of 44% (fourth lowest). But they’ve shot 15-for-62 (24%) on those wide-open 3s.
"Their weekend games against the Kings and Pelicans were just the third and fourth times the Celtics had the top eight players in their rotation all available. Their when-healthy starting lineup (with Kristaps Porziņģis) has now been outscored by 8.9 points per 100 possessions (scoring just 107.9 per 100) in its 138 minutes.
"The Celtics are 11-5 within the top nine in the East, with narrow losses to both the Magic and Hawks. They’ll host them both this coming weekend and will be at a rest disadvantage on Saturday against Atlanta, currently 5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs."
The two teams above the Celtics are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rose from the two spots to the one spot.
The Celtics remain a top team in the league and are favorites to win the 2025 title. The numbers tell you the same thing: They are ranked second in offensive rating (119.2), seventh in defensive rating (109.8), third in net rating (+9.5), and 24th in pace (98.2).
Boston will look for an undefeated week as they face their division rivals, the Toronto Raptors, on the road and then return home for a two-game homestand against the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks.
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