2023-24 Boston Celtics award predictions: Jayson Tatum finally wins MVP?

Due to the outstanding cast representing the fabled green in the forthcoming season, Boston Celtics supporters are filled to the brim with optimism and enthusiasm.

But let’s put the hopes for the title No. 18 on hold for a while and consider the individual honors and accomplishments this group might earn at the season’s end.

Here is the first major individual award that is on every Celtics supporter’s mind.

Can Jayson Tatum Win MVP this season?

Tatum put on a show during the 2022–23 season, averaging an astounding 30 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 1.1 SPG, demonstrating his domination on both ends of the floor and solidifying his position as a contender for MVP.

Tatum’s dominance went beyond just statistics by demonstrating to the world that he is more than capable of being the league’s most dominant player. This year, he will undoubtedly be driven more than ever. Even though Joel Embiid won the award at the end of the 2022–23 season despite Tatum continually displaying his superior ability, this simply served to fuel Tatum’s determination.

We have every reason to believe that Tatum will achieve new heights in the forthcoming season. His mentality is too strong for him to let a Finals failure, an Eastern Conference Finals loss, or a lost 2022–23 MVP title bring him down. In fact, I think that these losses will further feed his ferocious desire for success in Boston.

The way of thinking I just mentioned will be crucial to the team’s collective and individual success in the forthcoming season. The ingredients needed for a very successful regular season in Boston are present, especially with the arrival of Kristaps Porzingis and the wealth of skill currently on the Boston Celtics roster. The MVP award might return to Boston if Tatum can sustain his great performance levels from last season and keep turning up standout performances.

Do Boston Celtics have Defensive Player of the Year candidate after Marcus Smart trade?

Marcus Smart, a member of the Celtics, was the most recent recipient of this honor. He was honored for his unmatched grit and perseverance on the court’s defensive end in 2021–2022. Now that Smart has left Boston, the question of whether the Boston Celtics have a player with the defensive skills to win the DPOY award arises. There are two players who, in my opinion, have the best chances of attaining this accomplishment next season.

Robert Williams III is the first player who didn’t have the opportunity to regularly demonstrate his ability game in and game out last season. A healthy season is required because of his history of extraordinarily unlucky injuries. If he can stay injury-free for the entire 2023–24 season, I’m sure everyone will be raving about his defensive influence.

With 32 appearances and only 23.5 minutes per game, Williams averaged 8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, and 1.4 BPG. It is clear that last season wasn’t when he was at his peak. The fan-favorite big man may actually have a chance to win the DPOY title if he can maintain good health, show off his defensive skills, and perform to his ability.

The second guy that comes to mind when discussing defense is one who quickly established himself as a fan favorite last year, thanks in large part to a specific game-winning shot in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Have you figured out about whom I am speaking?

Naturally, I’m referring to Derrick White, who exceeded many fans’ expectations and established himself as one of the league’s top defensive guards.

White averaged an outstanding 12.4 PPG, 3.9 APG, 3.6 RPG, 0.7 SPG, and 0.9 BPG previous season, with his six-foot-four guard height being the figure that stood out.

White will undoubtedly enter the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year if he can maintain his defensive consistency over the course of the upcoming season. Do you believe White has what it takes to win this honor among the league’s many defensive all-stars?

I’m not sure, but it’s not impossible that the All-Defensive guard can continue to compete at this level.

Will a Boston Celtics player win Sixth Man of the Year again?

I’ve already discussed this subject, but that was before rumors of Malcolm Brogdon’s employment in Boston started to circulate. The chances of Brogdon replicating his success from last season are strong if he decides to play for the Boston Celtics during the entire 2023–24 campaign.

Is anyone else capable of playing to the same levels as Brogdon off the bench if he isn’t a Celtic by the conclusion of the following season? The answer could be influenced by how consistently the starting lineup performs. Given that Horford, Porzingis, and Williams are all capable of starting at the 4 and 5 spots next season, it is unclear who will hold those positions. One definitely have the skill needed to enter the race for 6th Man of the Year if they routinely play off the bench the next season.

Making a prediction is challenging because there are so many unanswered questions in this domain. Can Brogdon remain? Who will begin at positions 4 and 5? These questions will eventually be addressed, but for the time being, I’m holding out hope that Brogdon will remain and therefore put himself in the running for back-to-back 6th Man of the Year awards.

Can someone from the Boston Celtics step his game up enough to win Most Improved Player?

Last season, many Boston Celtics upped their game and played incredibly well, outperforming their prior seasons. This does not preclude the possibility of future development, though.

The Time Lord, who is now being named twice, is unquestionably a contender for Most Improved Player next year. Nothing can stop Boston’s defensive pillar from enhancing his game to the point of being touted as a contender for the award with an injury-free season and more minutes. His statistics have a lot of opportunity for improvement because of how little he played. We all know how talented Williams is, so I’ll use this opportunity to play some more of his best moments.

As you can see, I have high hopes for Williams in the event of a healthy season because I really feel he is a player who is capable of more than what he has thus far demonstrated in his injury-riddled career. Even at 25 years old, there is still much room for development.

Is Williams’ breakthrough year imminent?

How many Boston Celtics can make the 2024 All-NBA teams?

Following their outstanding 2022–23 season, Boston had two All–NBA players: Jayson Tatum made the first team and Jaylen Brown made the second team. Tatum now has three total All-NBA First Team appearances after making the Third Team following the 2019–20 season. This was Brown’s first year making the All-NBA squad, and he deservedly made the second team.

Who will represent the Celtics on the All-NBA teams the next season?

I must start by stating that, in my perspective, Tatum is a lock to make the All-NBA squad the next season. The brilliance he shown throughout the 2022–23 season speaks for itself and supports this assertion. A second season like this will undoubtedly guarantee his spot on one of the All-NBA teams the following year.

Last season, Browns averaged 26.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG, which was sufficient to earn him a berth on the All-NBA second team and the largest deal in NBA history. If Brown wants to be selected for the team next year, his performance on the court must equal the size of his $304 million contract, which he now holds.

This will be a significant year for Brown, and I anticipate that he will, like Tatum, be a lock for All-NBA next season, so long as the stress of living up to that contract doesn’t get in the way.

Kristaps Porzingis, the latest addition to the Celtics, is a dark horse possibility for an All-NBA team position next season and unquestionably has the ability to play at that elite level. With the new talent surrounding Porzingis, his performances will undoubtedly improve next season. His time in Boston seems to be his best shot, despite the fact that he has never previously been selected to an All-NBA team.

Although it may seem unlikely given the heated rivalry for All-NBA selection, his tremendous talent might more than likely secure him a spot while he’s in Boston.

If all three of these Celtics players were chosen, it would mark the first time since 2017 that three players from the same team had been chosen, with Draymond Green making the Third Team, Kevin Durant making the Second Team, and Stephen Curry making the Second Team. Porzingis is a dark horse contender, Tatum and Brown are sure bets for All-NBA, and I can’t wait to watch how it all plays out.

Who from the Boston Celtics can make the NBA All-Defensive Team?

Marcus Smart, a former Boston Celtics standout, was a common figure on the NBA All-Defensive teams, but since his departure in the off-season, only three current Boston players have been chosen.

Williams, White, and Al Horford have all appeared on the list in recent years. Can any of these celebrities succeed again?

I hate to say it, but I don’t think Horford has much of a chance. He still has the talent to start in the league, but I don’t think he’ll have the defensive play to earn a spot on the All-Defensive team the next year.

Horford will undoubtedly play a significant role in the Boston Celtics’ success next season, but I don’t believe it will be enough.

Now for a name that has repeatedly appeared in this article: Robert Williams. Williams was named to the All-Defensive second team in 2021–2022, earning recognition for his defensive prowess. He had a commendable season average of 10 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2 APG, 0.9 SPG, and 2.2 BPG. Williams played 61 times that season, averaging 29.6 minutes per game, as opposed to 35 times, averaging 23.5 minutes per game, in 2022–23. Williams will undoubtedly have a chance to make the All-Defensive team if he can play as much as he did in 2021–2022.

Derrick White put on a number of spectacular defensive displays during the 2022–23 season to demonstrate the breadth of his defensive repertoire, earning a spot on the All–Defensive second team.

All that White needs to do now is to keep clamping down on his opponents, which is what he excelled at doing for the entirety of the previous season. He is already one of the best defensive guards in the league, so if he has another season like that, his spot on the All-Defensive team is a lock. Does White has the necessary qualities to make the second team? Obtain Defensive Player of the Year, perhaps? In the NBA, stranger things have occurred.

Can Joe Mazzulla win Coach of the Year?

Mike Brown won the award the previous year after leading the Sacramento Kings to their first playoff appearance since 2006, an obviously successful year for both the Kings and Mike Brown. Joe Mazzulla, who had a tremendously successful regular season with the Boston Celtics, came in third in the vote and narrowly missed winning Coach of the Year.

Due to problems with the previous head coach Ime Udoka, Mazzulla assumed the post of Celtics head coach just days before the start of the season, placing pressure on him right away. The Celtics’ 57 victories in the regular season in Mazzulla’s first season as coach silenced the naysayers despite early reservations about his selection.

Now that the team has undergone offseason changes, there is hope that Mazzulla and the Beantown guys’ situation will only get better.

Mazzulla has already shown he can guide the Celtics to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, a second-seed regular season finish, and the best seasons of Tatum’s and Brown’s careers. I believe he will win Coach of the Year next year. He clearly has an effect on these players:

The honors for Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year, in my opinion, are still conceivable but less likely to occur. The other things I’ve described are definitely conceivable; in fact, I have confidence in them returning to Boston. Could Tatum win MVP? Yes. Can Brogdon win 6th Man of the Year one more (assuming he stays)? Yes. Can Brown and Tatum be chosen All-NBA players? Yes. Porzingis, can he? It is doable. White and Williams might be able to make the All-Defense squads. Absolutely. Is Joe Mazzulla a candidate for coach of the year? In my opinion.

I can’t wait to get the chance to watch these predictions come true as the season approaches. The Boston Celtics appear to be well on their way to success, both as a team and as individuals, and the upcoming season looks to be an interesting one.

This season, I for one am hoping for great things.