December 25, 2024
Winslow Townson/Imagn Images
The Sixers are heading to Boston for a Christmas Day matchup with the Celtics -- the first time the teams have met in the 2024-25 regular season.
The most anticipated Sixers game of 2024-25 is upon us, as they get set for a Christmas Day matchup against the defending champion Boston Celtics in hopes of accelerating their recent turnaround. The Sixers are winners of seven out of their last 10 games, but it will take everything they have to knock off a dominant Boston team.
Here to help us prepare for the matchup is Bobby Manning, who does it all covering the Celtics for CLNS Media and The Garden Report, as well as Boston Sports Journal and CelticsBlog. Bobby breaks down new critical component of Boston's roster, a former Sixers first-round pick struggling to find his footing with the Celtics and the one thing that could prevent a juggernaut from repeating as champions.
Adam Aaronson: One of the more intriguing developmental arcs of 2024-25 has belonged to Payton Pritchard, who is suddenly the clear favorite to win the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award. Pritchard has always been a talented and confident shooter, but it seems as if he has put it all together in 2024-25. Has anything changed for Pritchard, or is he simply receiving more opportunities to shine?
Bobby Manning: Most of the Celtics and those close to Pritchard point to opportunity, but I think it’s clear he’s leaner and in better shape. He told me last weekend that his added prowess in the mid-range and at the rim, where he started the year close to 70 percent, have kept defenders off balance. But the pull-up three point shooting has by far been the biggest driver of his success. He’s shooting Steph Curry volume and efficiency from deep and there’s no doubt rhythm allowed by more minutes and ball time contributed to that. Surviving defensively, finishing through contact and his limitless energy and availability every night also help. His long-time friend also told me that Pritchard gave up drinking to begin this season – that can’t hurt.
MORE: Celtics offseason rewind
AA: Some Sixers fans were not pleased when the team traded former first-round pick Jaden Springer to the Celtics in exchange for a second-round pick (the Sixers used that selection to draft Adem Bona). However, Springer has received very few chances to impress for the Celtics in parts of two seasons and will be a restricted free agent this summer. Is there any world in which Springer can be a part of Boston's long-term future?
BM: It’s not looking likely, especially after reports indicated that Boston tried to move off his $4 million expiring contract during training camp. Springer received his first real minutes of the season last week in a loss to Chicago, and he contributed next to nothing offensively. Otherwise, the team only utilized him in an in-bounds defensive role late in their loss to Cleveland. The trade looks like a rare, though largely inconsequential miss for Brad Stevens. As part of the trade, Boston traded Dalano Banton to Portland with a $2.2 million team option for this year. He’s scoring 20.7 points per 36 minutes for the Blazers and looks like part of their future.
AA: The Celtics enjoy a luxury that the Sixers have not been able to this year, which is viewing things through a bigger-picture lens. So, let's do that: everyone knows how talented, versatile, cohesive and well-coached the defending champions are, and it is no secret that the Celtics are clear favorites to repeat. Aside from injuries, though, what is the one factor you could see preventing Boston from hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy once again?
BM: So far it’s a shooting regression. Boston finished second in three-point percentage at 38.8 percent last season alongside their massive nightly volume in attempts. This year, even with Jayson Tatum back on track and Pritchard shooting out of this world, they’re down to 36 percent – in a tie for 15th. Sam Hauser’s struggles through back soreness have hurt the Celtics’ offense more than many would realize, they’re down 3.3 points per 100 possessions from first to third this year.
Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis have also struggled, though the latter will likely turn things around as he progresses in his return from offseason surgery. Their deeper bench players don’t provide much three-point shooting, so an injury or two could more adversely affect them this time around. I think they need Porzingis more than they did last year, and they probably need to explore adding a wing at the trade deadline. There are still a small number of teams that could beat this group four times – but they’re not unstoppable. Milwaukee, Memphis, Cleveland and Chicago have pushed them with combinations of spacing, athleticism and speed. The Thunder, who feel like inevitable Western Conference champions, boast all that and size. They’re young, and the Celtics might have a defensive switch they can flip when the time comes, but they’re not unstoppable.
• Date/Time: Dec. 25, 5:00 p.m. EST
• TV: ABC, ESPN
• Spread: Celtics -9.5
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