Ramp to Camp: Daring award predictions for 2024-25 Celtics

Ramp to Camp: Bold award predictions for 2024-25 Celtics initially appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Let’s get daring.

To kick off Week 2 of our Ramp to Camp collection, we requested our NBC Sports activities Boston panel to slam the quick ahead button on the 2024-25 season and ship one brash prediction about an honor or award {that a} member of the Celtics may earn this upcoming season.

(Try the first five installments of Ramp to Camp here.)

Regardless of steamrolling the league final season, the Celtics didn’t precisely dominate the award voting. Brad Stevens obtained maybe the most important nod as Govt of the 12 months. However past one All-NBA spot (Jayson Tatum) and two All-Protection guys (Derrick White, Jrue Holiday), the Celtics didn’t get a lot {hardware}. The snubs have been extra notable than the winners.

So who’s going to be a shock All-Star this yr? Who’s going to make the form of leap that delivers them some postseason {hardware}?

Our decide is Jaylen Brown for First-Staff All-Protection. On the floor it’s a daring suggestion, as a result of the Celtics have already got two guards already cemented in All-Protection spot. However we love the thought of Brown utilizing the entire frustrations from the previous six months to take his defensive sport up even one other degree after final season’s vault.

Brown harnessed a number of the motivation from being snubbed on All-NBA and All-Protection voting to assist earn MVP of each the Jap Convention Finals and NBA Finals. Then Team USA added to the disrespect with its own snub and now we’re all left ready to see how Brown makes use of it for gasoline.

Brown marched into Celtics Media Day final yr and just about declared he was going to show he could be an All-Defense player. He backed it up all through the season, a lot so {that a} former All-Protection man in Al Horford was emphatically stumping for Brown to make an All-Protection squad on the finish of the yr.

A participant as soon as outlined by his offensive abilities, Brown confirmed final season that he has the potential to be probably the most impactful two-way gamers within the NBA. He showcased it repeatedly within the postseason together with his willingness to defend one of the best scorers on the opposite group.

Once we take into consideration gamers on revenge excursions, we are likely to assume that can present itself with loud offensive outbursts. And, possibly Brown will try this, too. However given Boston’s assortment of expertise, we’d actually prefer to see him lean into his defensive potential and additional announce his arrival as an All-Protection participant.

One in all our favourite stats from final season was that, among the many NBA’s highest-volume defenders (no less than 10 photographs defended per sport; no less than 65 video games), Brown ranked fifteenth within the NBA whereas holding opponents to 2.4 % beneath anticipated discipline aim share. Opponents shot simply 44.8 % towards Brown, which ranked him eleventh among the many 111 qualifiers in that high-volume group.

Brown eradicated a number of the maddening lapses in focus that when plagued him on the defensive finish. He yearned for the problem of defending one of the best gamers on the other group. It’s time for his protection to be acknowledged by the remainder of the league.

Right here’s what our panel sees of their crystal balls:

Sam Hauser takes his rightful place in franchise historical past alongside Paul Pierce and Larry Chicken … by profitable the 3-point shootout.

Tom Giles, Multi-platform host

Payton Pritchard brings again the 2024-25 Hustle Award, which Marcus Smart gained 3 times. The man is simply completely in all places and he by no means performs at something lower than 100 mph.

Max Lederman, Multi-platform producer

Jayson Tatum wins MVP.

I will be to see how Tatum responds to the Staff USA drama this summer season, since he is actually by no means been publicly embarrassed like that earlier than in his profession.

The underside line is that he is 26 years outdated, one of the best participant on the defending champions, and has completed top-six in MVP voting the final three seasons. It is his time.

Mark Hazlett, Multi-platform producer

If we’re throwing up a heave here, gotta go together with Payton Pritchard profitable Sixth Man of the 12 months.

Horford will begin till Kristaps Porzingis returns, so PP will lead the bench unit. He is averaging 15 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per 36 minutes, so if he will get round 28-Half-hour per sport, he’ll have an actual case for the bench award.

White earns Defensive Participant of the 12 months.

Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama shall be closely favored to win this award, which has gone to a ahead or huge man in 27 of the final 28 years. However White follows within the footsteps of the lone exception (2022 DPOY Marcus Sensible) and leads all guards in blocks to take house the {hardware}.

Brown wins All-Star Sport MVP.

Brown will add it to his rising trophy assortment that already consists of an Jap Convention Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP trophy. The All-Star Sport is a principally joke, however there’s all the time one man who places up a ton of factors and runs away with MVP. Tatum did it in 2023 with an ASG-record 55 factors. Brown will give an identical efficiency this season.

If we’re going daring and surprising, let’s roll with Derrick White for Defensive Participant of the 12 months.

He completed eighth within the voting final season and earned his second consecutive All-Defensive choice. The most effective shot-blocking guard within the NBA is lastly beginning to get the respect he deserves, so maybe that is the yr his stellar protection is acknowledged nationally.

Kevin Miller, VP, Content material

Jaylen Brown, All-NBA First group.