The Celtics are heading into the 2026-27 season with a different look and a fresh set of questions, and preseason should give the first real clues about how this new version of Boston is going to work.
The biggest change is obvious: Jaylen Brown is gone, Paul George is in, and Boston is asking a lot from a player whose last few years have left plenty of people wondering whether the peak version is still there. Jayson Tatum is also another year removed from his Achilles tear, but he may be facing more defensive pressure than he has in years. The preseason opener against the Cavaliers on Oct. 8 begins a stretch that should help sort through some of that uncertainty.
George said on Celtics Media Day that he believes he can get back to the level that made him an All-Star.
"I'm still capable of doing those things when healthy and I feel like my body is is back healthy," George said. "I feel I'm capable of doing those things again.'"
Boston will get an early look at whether that confidence matches the reality on the floor. George should have plenty of chances to operate as one of the team’s primary scorers, particularly when Tatum is sitting. If the offseason buzz is real and George looks like the player teammates reportedly saw in workouts, that would do a lot for Boston’s case in the East.
Another major preseason question sits at center, where Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta are both in the mix for the starting job. Robinson arrives as the big-money addition after serving as a key piece on the Knicks’ title-winning team, while Queta posted the best numbers of his Celtics career last season.
Neither player has completely separated from the other. Queta ran into foul trouble in the postseason as Boston fell to the Sixers in seven, and Robinson has dealt with similar issues at times in his own career.
Still, the summer offered signs that Robinson may have turned a corner, even if it came in fewer minutes. Both men should get extended run in preseason, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the winner of that battle starts on Opening Day against the Pistons.
Payton Pritchard is another player worth watching closely. With Brown gone, he’s one of the clearest candidates to take on a bigger load. For most of the Brown-Tatum era, Boston used Pritchard as a spark off the bench, leaning on him to keep the offense moving when the stars were off the floor.
That role could change now. Joe Mazzulla has not said whether Pritchard will start in 2026-27, and there are obvious reasons to hesitate, since a Pritchard-Derrick White backcourt would be among the smallest in the league.
Even so, if Pritchard plays well over these next four preseason games, it’s hard to see Mazzulla keeping him out of the starting five. If he proves he can hold up on both ends next to White, that may be enough to put him in the lineup when the season opens.
In Other News...
Jayson Tatum Sees One Immediate Difference With Celtics Big Man
Mitchell Robinson is already giving the Celtics something they have long valued in the frontcourt, and Jayson Tatum noticed the difference quickly. After signing a three-year contract with Boston, Robinson brings a reputation for defensive disruption, physical rebounding and the kind of interior presence that can change how opponents attack the rim.
Tatum pointed to Robinson's defensive skills, his work on the glass and the broader impact he can have on the group, which fits neatly with what Boston has wanted from its big men. Robinson has built his name as one of the league's better offensive rebounders, and the Celtics will be counting on that edge to show up every night, especially once the games start to tighten and the margin for error gets smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Already Sounds Comfortable With A New Celtics Frontcourt Fit
Bostons final training camp practice in Charleston, South Carolina, offered a first real glimpse of how Jayson Tatum is beginning to mesh with a new frontcourt partner. With the season inching closer, Tatum spent some time discussing Mitchell Robinson and the way the Celtics can lean into his defensive presence, rebounding and screening to make the half-court offense and the overall lineup structure feel more natural.
For Tatum, the fit appears to be about more than just rim protection. He sounded comfortable with the idea of Robinson helping set the tone on both ends, and that matters for a team trying to sort out its rotations and maximize the forwards and centers around him. The early read is encouraging, even if the real test will come once the Celtics start facing live pressure and have to turn those camp impressions into something repeatable. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Are Suddenly Linked To A Knicks Move Fans Didn't Expect
The Celtics already made one notable Knicks-related splash this offseason by bringing in center Mitchell Robinson, and now their front office is being tied to another big name from New York. This time it is Karl-Anthony Towns, whose contract situation has quietly become a talking point around the league as Boston looks for ways to keep stacking talent around its core.
A Towns deal would not be simple and it would not come cheap, but the fit is easy to understand for a team that values spacing, size and versatility. The possibility only exists if contract talks in New York go sideways, which remains a long shot given the Knicks recent championship, but the mere mention of Boston in that conversation is enough to make the idea worth watching. [Read more 🡒]