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3 Burning Questions For Celtics Heading Into 2025-26 Season

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The Boston Celtics have won 18 NBA championships, the most in league history. However, they aren’t just a franchise with a rich back tapestry. They’ve been one of the better teams in the NBA for the past several years, all but smoothly transitioning from one era of dominance to another.

Unfortunately, at least for them, Boston’s era of peace and prosperity may now be at an end. Due to truly unforeseen circumstances, they enter the 2025-26 season in a precarious position that’s quite unfamiliar to them. Now, faced with several burning questions, it’s anyone’s guess what the future holds.

3 Burning Questions For Celtics Heading Into 2025-26 Season

What’s Next For Jayson Tatum?

Of course, the elephant in the room is the Achilles injury that Jayson Tatum sustained in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

A six-time All-Star and the face of the Celtics franchise, Tatum’s health is directly tied to the team’s success. In fact, Boston is 392-193 with Tatum since he entered the league in 2017-18; a .670 win percentage. Conversely, they’re 29-22 without Tatum since he entered the league; a .568 win percentage. Essentially, they’re a playoff team without the 27-year-old but a certified title-contender with him.

Given the typical recovery time for an Achilles tear, it’s possible that Tatum won’t play at all next season. However, if Boston is good enough and he looks healthy enough, he could come back by or for the playoffs. That being said, even if he does suit up, history has shown that most players will experience a dramatic decline after rupturing their Achilles.

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The Celtics will hope that Tatum is an exception but in reality, the situation isn’t promising.

Will They Be In Playoff Contention?

Piggybacking off the previous question, because of Tatum’s health status, there’s serious doubt that the Celtics can reach the playoffs. With that in mind, the last time Boston didn’t clinch a postseason berth was 2013-14. More importantly, as they’ve gone 29-22 without Tatum since he was drafted, there’s evidence that they can stay afloat while he’s on the mend.

May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) with a member of the medical staff on the court after an injury in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tatum would leave the game with an injury after this play. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Offensively is where they’ll miss Tatum the most, as he’s averaged 26.8 points and 4.6 assists per game over the past six seasons. The gap between he and Jaylen Brown wasn’t too large during that stretch. To that point, Brown has averaged 23.5 points and 3.4 assists per game over the past six seasons. However, even if Brown steps into Tatum’s shoes, someone has to step into his.

Fortunately for Boston, Brad Stevens has been even better as president than head coach. While trading away Jrue Holiday dented the defense, acquiring Anfernee Simons helps them survive life without Tatum. After all, Holiday averaged 11.8 points per game with the Celtics over the past two seasons. In that time, Simons has averaged 20.6 points per game.

Can Jaylen Brown Be The Guy?

When Brown signed a $304 million supermax extension in 2023, there were many that felt he didn’t deserve that type of dough. Forget the fact that he had just averaged a career-high 26.6 points per game while locking players down defensively. There were all those clips of him having a weak left hand. Remember?

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In response, Brown let his play do the talking. In 2023-24, he earned his third All-Star selection then went on to win the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP and 2024 NBA Finals MVP awards. So much for that left hand.

All of that being said, Brown is preparing for a different challenge than he’s faced before. For the first time, he’s going to be expected to be the No. 1 option for the Celtics throughout the season. This doesn’t just mean he’ll have greater responsibility but that he’ll face even more defensive pressure. How he responds to the elevated role will determine whether the Celtics sink or swim in 2025-26.

© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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