The Boston Celtics entered the 2024 NBA Playoffs with the best record in the league — and it's not even close. They collected a total of 64 wins to easily top the Eastern Conference standings by 14 games. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who finished the regular season with the best slate in the Western Conference only managed to rack up 57 victories. But unlike the Thunder and many other teams, the Celtics somehow ended up with zeroes on the list of 2023-24 NBA Awards finalists.
Celtics, NBA fans have interesting reactions to snub
For many Celtics fans and basketball observers, the Celtics not being represented in any finalist categories is as mysterious as it is shocking, especially in the Coach of the Year Award, which Joe Mazzulla is not a part of.
“Joe Mazzulla was a finalist last year, but this year his team runs away with the regular season and now he's not a finalist? How does this make sense?” posted @MikeDynon on X (formerly Twitter).
When someone pointed out to Dynon that Mazzulla is working with an excellent group of players, he responded by raising an even more compelling counter.
For what it's worth, the three finalists for the Coach of the Year honor are Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Jamahl Mosley of the Orlando Magic.
“The Celtics roster has zero nominees for any award and there’s no guarantee Tatum will even make all-NBA first team. One year the winningest coach gets the COY, the next year it’s the overachieving coach who wins. There’s no consistency.”
“it was never going to happen, fellow celtics fans. there's always a narrative more compelling than “Boston is good again,” said X user @Neon_Jeremy.
From @FemiAbebefe: “Celtics dominated the regular season, but have zero finalists for regular season awards lol. Make it make sense.”
Via @duckfubstep: “The 64-18 Celtics who have lapped the entire league are finalists for 0 awards. Brilliant stuff.”
Just as bewildered is @LosRealAli: “66% of the #Klutch Player finalists are not in the Playoffs. All year idiot voters said they can’t vote for Anthony Davis for DPOY because Lakers are a low playoff seed, yet Wemby is a finalist. LOL. Celtics Joe Mazzulla not being a COY finalist is wild.”
However, there are some who have tried to make sense out of it all, including Keith Smart.
“Nothing seems egregious here. Anything jump out to you? It is kind of funny that there isn't a single Celtic to be found, but I kind of get. It's an ensemble of good to great players. Just kind of funny that no one from the season's best team got any kind of finalist nod.”
Indeed, the Celtics' roster is stacked, with Jason Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday featured in the top-heavy Boston lineup. Each has contributed a lot to the success of the Celtics this season, which can be assumed as a reason why voters did not give Mazzulla and Boston players the credit many are looking for after the announcement of the awards' finalists.
Perhaps the snubs will give the Celtics even more motivation to destroy the competition in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. They are already off to a blazing start, as Boston absolutely dominated the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat on Sunday, 114-94, to get a 1-0 lead in that first-round series.
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