“Finals MVP 1 Year and 2 Months Ago!”: Rachel Nichols Believes Jaylen Brown Can Keep Celtics Competitive in Tatum’s Absence

As one of the most consistent teams in the NBA, one can never rule out the Boston Celtics even before the season starts. But with Jayson Tatum recovering from the Achilles tendon injury he suffered during last season’s playoffs, many believe the Celtics better prepare for what they are calling a ‘gap year.’

Now, this is not to say Joe Mazzula is going to be open to the idea. He will expect veterans like Derrick White and Jaylen Brown to step up and take on bigger roles in Tatum’s absence. Although Brown might find himself a little preoccupied in light of his father’s recent legal troubles.

To make things worse, the Celtics also lost Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford. Consequently, they are not being counted as serious playoff contenders. As a matter of fact, the NBA’s official website’s offseason power rankings have them marked to be the fourth-worst team in the Eastern Conference. NBA analyst Rachel Nichols, however, believes they will fare much better than most people think.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, she said, “Let’s assume Jayson Tatum wasn’t on the Celtics. Not that he’s hurt, not that he’s missing, not that that part of their offensive team is missing. Let’s just pretend he’s not part of the team.”

“Look at that team, which I know, has made some cuts to under the apron. But Jaylen Brown won the finals MVP, a year and two months ago. It was not a fluke. He won the Conference Finals MVP. I understand he’s not Tatum. I don’t think that argument is that close. I think Tatum is an underrated player. As highly as people think of him, as much as he’s been an MVP finalist, I think he’s underrated and undervalued for what he’s done … But let’s not pretend he’s [Jaylen Brown] is not of the better players in the NBA,” Nichols added.

Host Chris Mannix, however, doesn’t agree. He doesn’t believe that the Celtics simply have that star power to be able to pull through to achieve something significant this season. He asserts that at this point, the Celtics need help on the front court. He doesn’t think they can do much but get into the playoff field. The bigger issue, however, he believes, is that the team wasn’t operating like that was their endgame.

Mannix asserted that the Celtics are just trying to get through the season without any serious injuries and hoping to get a higher draft pick because they are in control of their 2026 pick. But Nichols argues that Brown is about to have a “monster year.” 

The Celtics have made moves like trading away Georges Niang, which suggests that they are serious about clearing as much cap space and falling below the apron as they can. At the same time, they know a championship is not on the cards, so they might focus a bit more on developing their existing talent.

They do have exciting talents on their roster, like Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta(who has had some impressive showing in the EuroLeague), and even Anfernee Simons, who, despite the Celtics’ wish to offload him, would probably start the season for them. That, however, doesn’t guarantee the team would be able to do anything but be a mid-table pack.