7 Biggest Threats to the Celtics' Chances to Repeat as NBA Champions

2. Denver Nuggets

It felt as though the Celtics dodged a bullet when the Timberwolves stunned the Nuggets in the Second Round of the Western Conference playoffs last season. Tatum even recently said that it was Denver's elimination that signaled to him that he could win it all.

Denver was the only team to post a winning record against the Celtics in 2023-24, winning both matchups in tight affairs. Boston had been undefeated at TD Garden until the Nuggets took them down in January, ending their streak of 20 consecutive home wins. It appeared Denver had not lost a step since winning the Finals in 2023. They retained much of their core from the championship, locking down their three stars to large contracts.

Nikola Jokic has continued to perform at an unstoppable rate, with ESPN naming him the top player in the sport. He has won an astonishing three of the last four MVPs, averaging 26.4 points per game and 9 assists per game in his latest campaign, both season highs among centers. His size and strength have made him perhaps the only player in the league for which the Celtics do not have a clear-cut answer. Even if they could somehow manage to keep him contained in a game, they would still have another bonafide star to worry about in Jamal Murray, who matched his career-high 21.2 points per game last season.

Unlike many teams, including Dallas, the Nuggets feature depth beyond their primary duo. Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon remain major pieces in the rotation, and Christian Braun will be looking to make a next-level jump. Even an aging Russell Westbrook could spell trouble off the bench if he can show flashes of his past prowess.

That being said, they have lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, and Reggie Jackson since their championship, and their performances at home against Minnesota in the postseason were uninspiring, to say the least. They were also unable to handle Boston in the 2 game Abu Dhabi preseason series.

If they finally face Boston in June, they will hope to avoid that same fate, while the Celtics may still hope to entirely avoid Denver again.