The start of the 2023-24 NBA regular season is still a few weeks away, meaning eager fans of the Boston Celtics will need to wait a bit longer to see this new-look team take the floor. For the impatient, however, there is an alternative.
The hit video game franchise NBA 2K allows players the ability to take control of an entire team with remarkable depth. This means the chance to play a single tilt, a full season, or even use the game’s powerful simulation platform to look into the future and see what the basketball gods might have in store for the coming season.
Buy Celtics TicketsHaving decided that patience is for the birds, I decided to fire up my Xbox and simulate the entire 2023-24 Boston Celtics season on NBA 2K24. This is what went down.
Can you guess the player ratings for the core members of the Boston Celtics in NBA 2K24? https://t.co/l9bTVBtkmc
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 9, 2023
The methodology
NBA 2K24 actually allows for a surprising number of ways to simulate NBA action. MyTEAM is a dynamic bonanza of players and eras, while this year’s Mamba Moments is a chance to revisit the storied career of Kobe Bryant. There are also online tools to play with other people around the globe.
For our purposes, I went for a vanilla approach. I used the offline season sim portal under MyLeague. I also used the default settings, leaving things like player scouting and lineup management up to the computer. Trades were not automated, although I didn’t plan on making any moves. I suppose it is notable that the game prompted quite a few trade proposals for Malcolm Brogdon and Al Horford as the season progressed.
Regardless, with the settings squared away and everything set to begin, I started simulated games. We were off!
The regular season
Boston got out to a hot start in the simulation. By Christmas the Celtics were 21-8, and owned the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. A minor Jayson Tatum ankle injury may have cost Boston a few games in December, in fact, but Philadelphia held a 1-game advantage in the standings.
There were a few injury hiccups along the way for Boston as the year progressed further. Brogdon suffered a strained right MCL and missed several weeks of action. Svi Mykhaliliuk tore his Achilles and was lost for the season. I decided to sign free agent TJ Warren as his replacement.
NBA 2K just released a few player ratings for the top stars in the Association. Who has the highest overall player rating in NBA 2K24? https://t.co/VjQsPT4AUU
— Rookie Wire (@RookieWire) August 10, 2023
Boston closed the year with a win behind a 42-point performance from Kristaps Porzingis and ended the season with a 56-26 record. Philadelphia remained the No. 1 seed in the East, winning an astonishing 64 games in the process. (It’s worth noting that James Harden remained with the Sixers and an injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo largely derailed the season for the Milwaukee Bucks.)
Regular season awards
Before the playoffs began in the simulation, I was given a chance to check out the regular season awards for the digital year that was. Boston ended up with a limited stock of hardware.
Tatum once was voted a starter in the All-Star game. And Jaylen Brown was once again named a reserve. But outside of an All-NBA Second Team spot for Tatum, no other Celtics players earned any accolades at the end of the regular season.
NBA 2K24 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop with a star-studded soundtrack. https://t.co/E9HnBbQS0G
— Rookie Wire (@RookieWire) September 7, 2023
Elsewhere in the NBA, Nikola Jokic won yet another MVP award. Head coach Nick Nurse won Coach of the Year after a strong showing with Philadelphia. Ja Morant and LeBron James ended up with All-NBA First Team nods.
Opening round of the playoffs
Awards and trophies are all well and good, but the second-seeded Celtics had a Banner 18 to chase. Boston began the postseason against the Indiana Pacers.
The opening round of the playoffs was a bit of a snooze. It was a clean sweep for the Celtics, setting up an intriguing high-pressure second-round tilt.
Round two of the playoffs
Boston faced the No. 3 seed Miami Heat in the second round of the postseason in this simulated season, setting up a collision between familiar foes. On the other side of the bracket, the Atlanta Hawks matched up with the 76ers.
Unfortunately for Boston, Robert Williams III suffered a sprained right ankle in Game 1 of the series, dropping a pivotal tilt at home. From there, Miami took a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Perhaps the simulation watched the 2023 NBA postseason rather closely, because much like last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, Boston fought back to force a Game 7 at home. And much like last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics were unable to complete the comeback.
Boston’s simulated season ended in the second round at the hands of the Miami Heat.
Players may want to pack their sunscreen when the head to “The City” when NBA 2K24 launches this September. https://t.co/lRGPoDE1Uh
— Rookie Wire (@RookieWire) September 1, 2023
The Eastern Conference Finals
With the Celtics headed to Cancun, the Heat advanced to take on the scorching hot 76ers. This simulated outcome represented Philadelphia’s first trip to the conference finals since 2001.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, however, the clock struck midnight. Jimmy Butler averaged 27.4 points, 8.0 assists, and 6.7 rebounds per game in a six-game series, allowing the Heat to upset the 76ers and advanced to a third Finals appearance in four seasons.
NBA 2K24 will be cross-compatible and feature two distinct editions honoring Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Full details here. https://t.co/cvgi02041e
— LeBron Wire (@LeBron_Wire) July 7, 2023
The Finals
This simulated season was a nightmare for Celtics fans. Not only did the Heat face the Sixers in the Eastern Conference Finals, but out west there was a duel between the Golden State Warriors and Kyrie Irving’s Dallas Mavericks. I feel confident this outcome would roll quite a few heads in the Hub if this is how the 2023-24 season plays out.
The Heat won the NBA title in our simulated year. As the digital dust settled, Jimmy Butler was left standing holding the Finals MVP trophy.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum does quite well in this assessment. https://t.co/rl4mvdEkvm
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 18, 2023
So what did we learn?
The simulation tools in NBA 2K24 are insanely powerful, and some of the outcomes in my little experiment are probably likely to happen in some form or another. That said, with even a cursory watch of “Jurassic Park” we’re reminded that it’s a foolish errand to try and predict what will happen in real life. In this iteration of the 2023-24 season, Jimmy Butler and the Heat found a way.
New @CelticsLab on YouTube w/ @JackSimoneNBA
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What will the order of the West look like by season's end? We do our best to predict it & get caught up on what little #Celtics news is out there.
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— Dr. Justin Quinn (@justinquinnn) September 14, 2023
It’s unlikely the real NBA season shakes out exactly this way. Although perhaps seeing what is basically a worst-case scenario for Celtics fans ahead of time is helpful for managing expectations. For whatever it’s worth, I didn’t feel the name to save the game before I turned my Xbox off.
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