When Jayson Tatum went down with a torn Achilles on May 12 during Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics’ plans for the coming season took a complete U-turn. Admittedly, they’ll go from being sure-shot contenders to, at best, chasing a playoff spot. According to Bob Ryan, even that could be a stretch.
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Tatum will miss the majority of the 2025/26 season, if not all of it. That leaves Jaylen Brown as the number one option for Boston, and Ryan, a famed columnist, does not think that aligns with high ambitions.
Brown is a fine player, one who earned the 2024 Finals MVP after the C’s torched the Dallas Mavericks to capture the franchise’s 18th championship. But Ryan does not believe he can carry a team the way Tatum has. The basketball guru and longtime Celtics follower appeared on the CLNS Media Boston Sports Network program and explained why the four-time All-Star will fall short as the team’s new frontman.
“I like him, he’s fine. He’s a wonderful player. There’s a level of hierarchy in all sports. He’s at the next level, the very good level. But he’s not at that level, I don’t think. Just a chance to prove everybody wrong,” he stated.
Ryan isn’t the only famed Bostonian to say this, either. Six-time NBA Champion Bob Cousy, who is now 97, expressed his concerns with Brown at the helm, and even wondered if the team would have to go through a major rebuild.
“In my judgment, Jaylen [Brown] is not quite at the superstar level that [Jayson] Tatum is at,” Cousy told The Boston Globe. “Can he carry the load by himself? I see a major rebuilding effort here. Jaylen certainly won’t bring them to the promised land. Derrick White’s a good player and he’ll produce and he’ll be consistent, but his game doesn’t lend itself to carrying a team.”
Ryan echoed what Cousy opined and vehemently agreed, predicting that the Celtics will fall much further in the East than anyone is willing to admit, out of the playoffs and into the play-in. “Naturally, there’s some blowback from young ins. ‘Who’s the old guy? What’s he talking about?’ He’s on record now, and I agree with him. I think they’re going to be lucky to be in that 7/8 mix.”
“I think they’re going to be fortunate to avoid the Play-In. I really do,” added Jeff Goodman, who conducted the interview with Ryan. That’s probably right on the money. The East no longer belongs to Boston as it has for the last decade.
The New York Knicks have improved. The Cleveland Cavaliers finished in the No. 1 spot and, if they remain healthy, could just as easily do it again. The Detroit Pistons are finding themselves as a franchise, and the Milwaukee Bucks will always be dangerous as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo is there.
Fortunately, Boston has a great coach in Joe Mazzulla. If there is someone who can figure out how the Brown algorithm works, it would be him. But unless more major moves are made, there is no indication that the Celtics are getting back to the Finals anytime soon.
