For an organization as big as the Boston Celtics, there’s always a belief that they’ll pull off something special. Even with an Achilles injury to their main man, Jayson Tatum, fans continue to flock to TD Garden, hoping for wins one game at a time. That said, succeeding in the 2025–26 season may prove to be too big an ask.
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Charles Barkley made an ominous prediction, saying it could be a very difficult season for Celtics fans, who were celebrating a championship win just over a year ago. Not only have they lost Tatum for the entire season (unless he makes a miraculous comeback), but they’ve also let go of key figures like Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis over the offseason.
The team has gotten a lot weaker, and they’re feeling it in the early going. The Celtics are currently 2-3 and far from the powerhouse unit that brought Boston a ring back in 2024. It’s the unfortunate part of the swinging basketball pendulum. Sometimes it swings in your favor, and sometimes it swings right at your hopes and dreams. The C’s will play hard all year, but there’s a good chance they’re already cooked.
Barkley spoke about Boston on Inside the NBA, and when Ernie Johnson asked if Celtics fans have to be patient with the 2025 squad, he replied, “They closer to being a patient…in the hospital.”
“It’s going to be a long year,” he added. Barkley then had a list of all of the big names that were on the Celtics’ last season and how six of them have either been traded away or, when looking at Tatum, are not coming back anytime soon.
“You only got three of them available, and you think you are going to have success?” asked the Suns legend. “You gave away more than you brought back. Tatum, whom I love. Porzingis was the reason they won the championship. Jrue Holliday was one of the best leaders in the NBA. There is no way this team is going to be any good.”
Shaquille O’Neal further suggested that the C’s organization may even consider starting over because that team got so badly separated. “I agree with Chuck. When you give up three guys that have been vital to your success, it’s like damn near staring over. Patience is the right word, but they might be done.”
Maybe it’s not what Boston fans want to hear, but the truth is this version of the Celtics just isn’t built to compete like the one that lifted the trophy two years ago. Between injuries, trades, and a thinner roster, this season feels more like a reset than a run.
Still, the Celtics have never been a team to roll over. So even if the wins don’t pile up, you can bet the fight will. Whether it’s a rebuilding year or just a rough patch, it’s clear the next chapter in Boston basketball is already being written.
