Caleb Martin will be as important as any of the 76ers stars in 2024-25

Since 2016-17, the Boston Celtics have won a championship, competed in two NBA Finals, and reached the Conference Finals on six different occasions. Boston is the unequivocal standard in the Eastern Conference, and the Philadelphia 76ers have built their roster accordingly.

At the heart of that push to win a playoff series over the Celtics for the first time since 1982 will be a trio of stars whose importance will be matched by their new top role player.

Philadelphia has complemented the All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey with future Hall of Fame inductee Paul George. With a trio of players who can thrive both with and without the ball, the 76ers look the part of a potentially dominant team.

As far as competing with the Celtics is concerned, however, that trio will need Caleb Martin to keep the pace with his brand of two-way value.

Philadelphia signed Martin to a four-year deal worth upwards of $35 million in the early stages of 2024 free agency. It was a massive move by general manager Daryl Morey, who added a proven two-way player with intriguing postseason experience to a team in need of depth.

There's no opponent against whom Martin will be more important than the Celtics—and the 76ers won't win without him at his best.

Caleb Martin is the key to the 76ers defeating the Celtics

Martin, 28, spent the past three seasons working his way into a steadily role in the rotation with the Miami Heat. During that time, he transformed his reputation and established himself as one of the top role players in the NBA.

Martin reached a career peak during the 2023 Playoffs, when he played a featured role during Miami's run to the NBA Finals.

Martin averaged 12.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 offensive boards, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.9 three-point field goals made on a slash line of .529/.423/.829 during that postseason run. He was at his best against the Celtics, averaging 19.3 points per game during the Eastern Conference Finals.

That includes the 25 points he scored in a Game 2 Heat win, a 21-point and 15-rebound eruption in Game 6, and the 26 points and 10 boards he tallied in Game 7.

That success is pertinent, even if the numbers themselves aren't realistic to expect from his Philadelphia tenure. Martin was essential to Miami defeating Boston, as he offered far more than a hot hand on the offensive end of the floor.

Martin's defense was just as vital as his scoring, as he built a defensive pairing with Jimmy Butler that managed to neutralize the three-point shooting from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

The hope in Philadelphia seems to be that Martin will experience similar success while playing alongside George. It's a remarkable defensive duo at the forward positions, and their success against Brown and Tatum will be essential to Embiid and Maxey having a chance to win their matchups and thus the series.

If Martin is able to thrive in Philadelphia as he did in Miami, then the Big Three will be given every opportunity to prove they can overcome the Celtics and end what's set to become a 43-year drought.