Life can change at a whim when you are a team in the NBA. Eastern Conference franchises like the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic utilized the offseason to get significantly better. The Boston Celtics, however, seem to have fallen off a cliff and are no longer the threat they once were.
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It was clear before the conclusion of the 2024-25 season that the Boston Celtics would undergo a few changes. The team had become too expensive to keep together, and it didn’t help that a new ownership group was coming in. The last thing they would want to do financially is be a second apron team.
Boston’s fate became crystal clear once Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the 2025 NBA playoffs. With this, at least two key players from their core of Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White had to be sent away. Of course, Tatum and Brown were always safe, which resulted in the Celtics parting ways with Holiday and Porzingis via trade.
Unfortunately, at the moment, the Celtics might as well wave goodbye to any championship aspirations with Tatum out of the lineup. But that doesn’t necessarily mean this season will be an undeniable failure. Because despite the evolving state of affairs, Brown believes a new dawn is upon the horizon.
“It’s a new era of Celtics,” Brown began. “Half the team is gone. I wish them the best,” he added.
Brown’s words aren’t an exaggeration. Holiday and Porzingis weren’t the only two figures the organization moved on from. The team has eight returning players with nine new faces joining the locker room for training camp.
The Celtics added Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, and Luka Garza to their line up, while major rotational players like Luke Kornet, Al Horford, and Torrey Craig are no longer on the team.
For many, this sort of overhaul could be overwhelming. Thankfully, Brown tries to stay optimistic. “It’s a new era, everything has kind of changed and shifted. We’ll see what we got,” Brown reiterated .
It’s hard to gauge the Celtics without Tatum, but they’ll certainly remain a competitive team in the East. Brown and White are both amazing talents capable of leading this roster to a postseason berth. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP understands the challenge ahead and has programmed himself to be equipped with everything that will follow.
“I am more locked in than I’ve ever been in my life,” Brown declared.
Boston’s current over/under line for wins on the season is at 43.5. That is a big drop considering they won 61 games last season. After all the roster turnover, it makes sense why the sportsbooks have dropped that number significantly. However, that is a very achievable goal.
For context, the Detroit Pistons had 44 wins last year, and this Boston squad is pretty much on par with them as far talent is concerned. It’ll, however be interesting to see how Brown and the rest of the roster respond to the constant media scrutiny once the season starts for good.
