The Celtics may have entered the 2026-27 season with a cloud hanging over them after the Jaylen Brown trade, but the roster Boston has put together still points to a team that can rack up wins in a hurry.
Brown is gone after averaging 29/7/5 last season as the No. 1 option for a shorthanded group, and the Celtics sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers, a direct rival that many now view as a real title threat after signing LeBron James. In return, Boston has Paul George, a veteran with obvious questions about availability, but also a cleaner fit in what should still be a rugged, efficient Celtics system.
That system starts on defense. Boston already finished with the fourth-best defense in the NBA last season, and the unit has a chance to be better now.
The Celtics could go with a bigger wing in the starting five, with Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, or Jordan Walsh as possibilities, and Payton Pritchard would be the one coming off the bench. Pritchard may not have ideal size, but he’s not a defensive liability either.
The frontcourt looks more stable, too. The Celtics appear set to start Mitchell Robinson, or at least rotate him with Neemias Queta at center.
That matters because Boston addressed one of its biggest issues from last season. Backup center Nikola Vucevic struggled badly on defense down the stretch, to the point that Joe Mazzulla removed him from the rotation in Game 7 of the first round against Philly.
George should raise the floor on the defensive end as well. He may not be Brown in a vacuum at this stage, but he fits the Celtics much better.
He shot 39.2% from three last season, and he has a long track record of ranking near the top of the league in deflections. Through two preseason games, he already had seven steals.
With more offensive help around him, he can spend more energy doing what Boston needs most from him: finishing plays and making life miserable for opponents.
Boston also took a hit in turnover differential when Brown left, since his 3.6 turnovers per game are now gone. Add in the rebounding edge the Celtics already had - they led the NBA in total rebounds per game last season - and Robinson’s arrival as one of the best rebounders in league history, and this has the look of a regular-season machine.
That’s why a season north of 55 wins is on the table, even with the offense likely to have some uneven nights if the three-point shooting swings hot and cold. With the East expected to be crowded, that kind of total could be enough for the best record in the conference.
Jayson Tatum is the other huge piece of the equation. Boston traded Brown knowing Tatum would be back to the top of the pecking order after missing time late last season with a ruptured Achilles. If he’s fully healthy, there’s every reason to expect his production to climb again.
In the 2024-25 season, Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists while shooting 45/34/81 and carrying a 31.2% usage rate. If that usage rises toward Brown’s 36.2% from last season, Tatum reaching something like 30/9/7 is not a stretch. If he does that while Boston finishes atop the East, his MVP case gets loud in a hurry.
The name recognition around the league will be fierce - Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Luka Doncic will all have their own arguments - but Tatum has the kind of storyline voters remember. A return to peak form after a devastating Achilles injury, paired with a top seed and a finish ahead of the 76ers, would give him his strongest MVP showing yet, assuming the Celtics hit the benchmarks.
Pritchard also looks lined up for a major individual reward. He came off the bench in both preseason games he played, even with Boston’s core on the floor, and that points to a sixth-man role that seems locked in for the long haul. He shifted to the bench after the Celtics dealt for Vucevic at last season’s deadline, and he thrived in that role.
In 29 games as a reserve last season, Pritchard averaged 17.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. If he keeps producing around 18/4/5, he should have a serious case for Sixth Man of the Year, even with challengers like Dylan Harper, Ajay Mitchell, Ayo Dosunmu, and DeMar DeRozan in the mix.
In Other News...
Celtics End Preseason With One Encouraging Sign Fans Will Love
The Celtics wrapped up the preseason with a 125-120 overtime win over the 76ers, closing out a perfect 4-0 run in a game that looked more like a tune-up for the end of the roster than a dress rehearsal for opening night. Boston rested most of its top players and had Sam Cassell on the sideline, while Philadelphia went with its regulars, including Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown, giving the matchup a little more bite than the usual exhibition finish.
One of the more encouraging signs for Boston came from Hugo Gonzalez, who paced the Celtics with 21 points. In a preseason that has mostly been about sorting out roles and getting through healthy, the rookie gave the staff something to think about, especially in a game that stretched into overtime before Boston pulled it out. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid Just Gave Celtics Fans A Preseason Reason To Worry
Joel Embiids preseason meeting with the Celtics produced a moment that caught just about everyone off guard, including Embiid himself. The Philadelphia 76ers center threw down a dunk in the game, a small but notable sign that hes still willing to bring a little more force back into his offense after previously steering clear of those plays to protect his body.
For Boston, it was the kind of early October flash that can linger in the back of your mind. Embiids performance suggested a renewed edge and a more aggressive version of himself heading into the season, which is the sort of development the Celtics would rather not have to think about this early, especially if it carries over once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Exposed A Sixers Problem That Should Get Fans Talking
The Celtics and 76ers wrapped up a pair of preseason meetings with a familiar October caveat attached, since several of the biggest names never suited up. In Philadelphia, Boston leaned on bench players and training-camp hopefuls, yet the group still brought a level of pace and edge that stood out against a Sixers side that featured some regulars in Boston. For a team trying to sort out the bottom of its roster and build habits before the games count, that kind of effort matters.
What lingered from the matchup was less about the final result and more about the contrast in energy. Observers came away noting that some Philadelphia stars looked detached at times, while Bostons lesser-known players played with urgency and competitiveness from start to finish. It is the sort of early-season snapshot that can be easy to dismiss, but it also tends to say something about how much each side is getting out of these tuneups. [Read more 🡒]