The Celtics have hit their first signs of struggle this season, and looking at the schedule, it doesn’t get any easier for the reigning champions. Once the calendar flips to 2025, the C’s have a strenuous stretch ahead of them when it comes to the quality of opponents and travel.
But despite that, C’s coach Joe Mazzulla had a somewhat predictable answer to the upcoming stretch. The Celtics have lost four of their last six games, including a defensive dud to the Pacers on Sunday.
“I’m actually really excited about it,” Mazzulla said of the schedule. “It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be great.”
Let’s take a closer look at the January schedule coming up. First and foremost, the Celtics play 10 of their 16 games on the road, which includes two separate four-game road trips. Mixed in there are also three back-to-backs, meaning the C’s will have to lean on their depth heavily next month.
But it’s not just the sheer amount of games or where they are — it’s also about the quality of opponents. The Celtics start the month with a four-game road trip at the Timberwolves, Rockets, Thunder then Nuggets in that order. All four of those teams are playoff-caliber foes, including the 2023 champs in Denver. There’s also a back-to-back mixed in there for the Minnesota and Houston games.
Later in the month, the Celtics embark on another four-game road trip: the Warriors, Clippers, Lakers then Mavericks in that order. Again, those will be some tough foes against teams who are all at or above the .500 mark. The Clippers and Lakers games will also be a back-to-back in Los Angeles. The C’s could miss Mavs star Luka Doncic, who’s out at least a month with a calf strain, in the NBA Finals rematch.
Of course, the entirety of January isn’t all tough. The Celtics do have games against some of the struggling teams in the NBA (the Pelicans twice, the Raptors and the Kings). But the schedule also features teams who have already given them a loss in the likes of the Magic, Hawks, Bulls and others.
Regardless of opponent or anything else, the Celtics will have to clean up their play after hitting a rough stretch. It’s a long season, so there doesn’t have to be any panic at this point. The C’s have earned the benefit of the doubt as reigning champs. But that can oftentimes be a double-edged sword as all these teams on the schedule are gearing up to take on the class of the league. After a lean December, the Celtics will jump into the deep end come 2025.
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