Life comes at you fast, so they say. Just last year, people were talking about a potential three-peat for the Boston Celtics, after they captured their 18th NBA Championship. The Cs had re-signed just about every player on the title-winning roster with a focus on sustainability.
Since then, Jayson Tatum has torn his Achilles, Boston’s season was ended earlier than expected, and rotation staples like Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis have been cap casualties.
The changes have been so sharp and drastic that the Celtics dropped 11 ranks, from second to 13th, in ESPN’s long-term power rankings.
NBA reporter Tim Bontemps detailed the franchise’s recent misfortune, while painting the picture for a path forward.
“A year ago, the Celtics were the defending champions en route to dominating the Eastern Conference for years,” Bontemps wrote. “Then, Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in May, Boston failed to get out of the second round, and the team traded Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this summer. It's a reminder of how quickly things can change in the NBA, even though a core of Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White -- plus strong management in coach Joe Mazzulla and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens -- portends a quick bounce-back, assuming Tatum is healthy, as expected, in 2026-27.”
Should the Celtics be ranked so low?
Sure, there’s been plenty said about the 2025-26 season serving as a gap year, as Tatum’s Achilles and the team’s checkbook spend some time healing. But, in terms of the future, there’s still plenty to get excited about.
Boston can absolutely catapult back into contention once Tatum’s injury is healed. It’s just a question of how much they make of this upcoming season.
Even though it all feels like a wash, especially after watching the team compete with the best over the past decade, there’s plenty to learn here. Players like Neemias Queta, Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and even Jaylen Brown will have plenty of opportunity to showcase the range of their abilities.
Each player’s role expands without Tatum, as well as some of the team’s summer departures. If any of these guys can exceed expectations, the climb back to contention gets much easier. Internal development is going to be key, especially considering that the Celtics are still spending over the first-apron by $7 million.
With that being said, it’s fair to be skeptical of Boston’s ability to bring in more talent to play alongside Tatum and Brown over the next few summers. Cost-cutting remains a priority heading into this season.
Is that going to be the case next summer? Will the front office be able to bring in free agents? Will there even BE free agents to be chased? If not, then do the Celtics have the assets to land the right player(s) in a trade?
There are so many looming questions that can only be answered with time. As much as it may sting to see the Cs ranked so low on a list like ESPN’s, the sad reality is that there isn’t enough certainty in Boston to rank them much higher at the moment.