The NBA has already started to roll out some of its more important slates for next season (namely opening week and Christmas Day), and somehow, they completely missed the opportunity to have the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers go head-to-head during these games off the heels of their blockbuster Jaylen Brown-Paul George trade.
Whenever Brown faces his former team for the first time (especially when he makes his return to Boston), everybody is going to have that date circled on the calendar. It's going to be a can't-miss game, not only because of the circumstances of the trade, but also because this is a playoff rematch (and possible playoff preview).
Obviously, the 2024 Finals MVP is going to face the Boston fans at some point next season, but for the NBA to not have it be during either of these crucial slates of games is a huge mistake on their part.
Celtics-76ers will be a marquee matchup next season
Even ignoring the context of the trade (which, to be fair, is a lot to ask for), there are reasons for fans to have their eyes glued to the TV whenever the Celtics and 76ers go head-to-head next season.
Both teams have had an eventful offseason (outside of the Brown-George trade, the Celtics added Mitchell Robinson, Mike Conley, and Chris Cenac Jr.; the 76ers added LeBron James, Labaron Philon Jr., Anfernee Simons, and Dean Wade), and they could realistically see each other in the playoffs once again next year.
Plus, this is a divisional battle between two teams that have been rivals for years. There is a lot more to the Celtics-76ers rivalry now than there was even a year or two ago, and giving fans the best possible look into the new era of it would have been a good idea.
Celtics will look to compete without Jaylen Brown
A lot of Celtics fans are still upset about the Brown trade, and I completely understand it (questionable return, traded him to a division rival, and there is still a debate about whether the team should have traded him in the first place). But at the same time, there is still a lot to like about Boston's outlook next season.
Players like Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez should be in line for big leaps. Plus, the Celtics still have some solid depth and were just the No. 2 seed last year.
The East is as strong as it has been in recent years, and the Celtics are going to have a hard time establishing themselves as legitimate title contenders next season. However, they still have a talented team and one of the best coaches in the NBA. Only time will tell if they'll be playing next June, but a lot of people are writing them off a little too soon.
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