The Boston Celtics are having an incredible season, but it hasn’t been perfect. They’ve already lost 12 home games: twice as many as they lost in all of last year’s regular season and playoffs combined. Yet, they still hold the NBA’s third-best record at 54-19. Why? Because they’ve been dominant on the road. Their 30-7 road record is the best in the league and one of the greatest in NBA history. If they win their remaining four road games, they’ll tie the legendary 2015-16 Warriors for the most road wins in a season!

But could big changes be on the way? Rumors have been flying, and now it’s official: the Celtics are getting a new owner. Businessman William Chisholm is leading a group to buy the team for a record $6.1 billion, the highest price ever for an NBA franchise. That even tops what the Phoenix Suns sold for in 2022. Chisholm is a lifelong Celtics fan, which sounds like good news, but new ownership always raises questions. Will he keep this squad together, or could we see some big trades? 

While this makes the future of the team uncertain, Celtics legend Paul Pierce recently shared his thoughts on how this squad compares to the 2008 championship team. “I think it’ll go seven,” Pierce said, believing his team would edge out the current Celtics. His reason? Defense. He stated, “We could match up with them because we would put KG at center, I would be at the four, Posey be at three, Ray at the two, and Eddie House at the one.” The 2008 Celtics had one of the greatest defenses in NBA history.

He recalled, “That was a team that we was down 20 to the Lakers and came back. That was our depth, kind of like depth.” But would that defense hold up against today’s Celtics? This team is built differently. They rely on offensive firepower and versatility. Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis give them a mix of scoring and defense. Could they handle the grit of the 2008 squad? Maybe, maybe not.

Boston Celtics gets locked in for another title run

The Celtics are heating up at just the right time. Though the did hit a brief midseason slump, they were able to get themselves together. But let’s be honest: the road hasn’t been smooth. December and January were tough. Fatigue crept in, shots wouldn’t fall, and frustration started to build. It happens to every great team, but the true test is how you respond. As Jrue Holiday put it: “It’s hard to win, man. It’s hard to win. It’s taxing, and then once you try to come down from that high, you have to run right back up.” As Holiday said, that much grind can wear down even the best.

Boston learned that lesson the hard way in 2022. Back then, they got ahead of themselves, thinking too far ahead instead of locking in on the present. It cost them. But this time, they’re different. They’ve embraced a simple but powerful mindset: just handle what’s in front of you. That shift has so far been for the best. After all, they had a 64-18 season and a commanding playoff run that led to Banner 18.

Kristaps Porzingis sees it firsthand: “That’s the culture that the coaching staff is instilling in us… to get us to play this hard against all the competition at this time of the year.” It’s not about picking and choosing when to bring the bring the heat up. It’s about showing up, every single night, regardless of the opponent.

So, the big question looms: Can the Celtics become the first team since the 2017-18 Warriors to win back-to-back titles? If they keep this momentum, there’s no reason to doubt them.