If the 2023-24 season proved anything, it was that the Boston Celtics are the team to beat. And being the best comes with a target on your back. But that’s the question, isn’t it? Can any team be a genuine threat to the Celtics on their quest for a record-extending 19th NBA title? Well, the Denver Nuggets could’ve been a consideration had it not been for a major blunder they made in 2023.

On the Truth Lounge Show, Jason Crowe Sr asked co-host Paul Pierce, “Who is the biggest threat to the Celtics next year?” In the 2023-24 season, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics dominated the regular season with a 64-18 record, 14 games better than their closest rivals in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks. Considering this, Pierce quickly responded, “There’s nobody in the East that can beat the Celtics.” So, someone in the West?

“I keep hearing this Denver stuff. I don’t believe that,” said Crowe Sr, and Pierce seemed to agree. “Denver gotta make it out of the West first.” After finishing the regular season with a 57-25 record, the same as Oklahoma City Thunder, the 2023 NBA champions couldn’t make it past the Conference Semifinals, losing in 7 games to the Timberwolves. Crowe Sr explained, “That’s what I’m saying. I don’t believe that. They didn’t re-sign their people.”

“What Bruce Brown and Jeff Green did for Denver… they let them go.” Notably, Bruce Brown landed with the Nuggets in 2022 on a 2-year deal with a player option. His contract’s total value was close to $13.2 million, so he outplayed the deal. Being among the franchise’s top and acting as a key piece in the Nuggets’ championship run – he averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 80 games – he opted out of his contract using his player option and became an unrestricted free agent in July 2023.

The Indiana Pacers took the opportunity and landed Brown on their roster with a 2-year, $45 million contract with a team option. Even the Nuggets considered this a major setback for the franchise. “That blow was big,” GM Calvin Booth said about losing Brown and Jeff Green to free agency. Brown’s 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in the playoffs, along with his important plays, testified his importance in the Nuggets. As for Green, leaving the Nuggets wasn’t his first choice.

He revealed last year, “I wanted to stay. But we all know it’s a business first, and when business happens there’s nothing you can do about it.” He signed with Houston for a 1-year, $6 million deal, one that the Nuggets couldn’t have offered him as they navigated the salary cap consequences of winning the championship. After losing Brown and Green last year, you would think the Nuggets wouldn’t have wanted a repeat this year. But that’s precisely what has happened again.

The free agency just started, and Denver has already lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Orlando Magic on a $66 million, 3-year contract. While this seems like a bigger blow than the departures of Green and Brown last year – considering how well Caldwell-Pope fit into his role with the Nuggets – Calvin Booth begged to differ. “I think we’ll be OK if KCP doesn’t return,” he said. As the franchise grapples with losing KCP in free agency, the Boston Celtics are already a step ahead.

The Joe Mazzulla-led team has been quietly working to retain its championship-winning roster. They’ve secured 12 of the 15 players for last season’s team, including the top 9 from 2023-24. And with new contract extensions for Derrick White and Jayson Tatum, it looks like they’re setting their sights on not just a repeat but continued dominance beyond the 2024-25 season. You can see a clear contrast between the Nuggets’ mindset and the Celtics.

After losing Green and Brown last year, Calvin Booth revealed that Denver was looking to win “three out of six, three out of seven, four out of eight” championships instead of back-to-back ones. So, it makes sense for Pierce and Crowe Sr not to consider the Nuggets a threat to the Celtics. That said…

Paul Pierce believes two teams could still have hope against the Celtics

Although the former Celtics star snubbed the entire Eastern Conference earlier, he stated the New York Knicks could be one team from the East that, if improved, could threaten the Celtics. The Knicks have already moved in that direction after landing Mikal Bridges from the Nets. But the franchise will still have to fill out the surrounding roster.

Apart from this, Pierce also considered the Philadelphia 76ers as a contender if Paul George lands with the team. Notably, George recently entered free agency after opting out of the Clippers, declining his $48.7 million player option. And as per Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, the Sixers are the “frontrunners” to land George in free agency. “If he comes to Philly, sources believe George will help recruit solid role players for the Sixers’ pursuit of an NBA championship-caliber roster,” Pompey wrote.

Now, Crowe said on the Truth Lounge Show that PG can play the third wheel, but he can’t play that dynamic two-way at this stage of his career. However, speculations are that the Sixers want to surround Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid with a third star. George could very well serve this purpose, as Crowe admitted. However, whether or not the Sixers pose a threat to the Celtics is something that can be answered only once the season starts.

Update: The 76ers and Paul George have agreed to sign a 4-year, maximum extension deal, which will amount to $212 million.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.