Boston Celtics fans could be in for a humbling experience in the 2025-26 season. It’s been over a decade since the NBA Playoffs eluded Boston, and the team has had tremendous success during that window. Six Eastern Conference Finals appearances, two NBA Finals trips, and, of course, the 2024 NBA Championship.
They’ve consistently been amongst the league’s elite, giving fans a tremendous product to watch night in, and night out.
After a summer of change, the fanbase is due for a prompt reality check. While key pieces like Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard will all still be on the parquet, others like Jayson Tatum, who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet will not be.
Celtics nightmare could mirror Warriors and 76ers
Don’t get it twisted. The Celtics can still potentially be a fun, mid-level team in the East, but they’re going to have to stay healthy. Above all else, they lost depth in the offseason’s mass exodus.
If you remove one or two of Brown, White, or Pritchard from the lineup things could get ugly fast. All of a sudden, players who are best consumed in small doses will be forced to take on larger roles than they are ready for, and the losses may pile up.
Even someone like Sam Hauser, who has been tremendous at what the Celtics ask him to do, could suffer if he’s taken out of his comfort zone.
Nevermind if Neemias Queta goes down. Queta, who is projected to start at center after getting sporadic minutes last season, is by no means a superstar. But, there’s hope he’s solid enough to project the paint, grab rebounds, and finish plays at the rim.
Boston doesn’t have much behind him, though. Sure, Luka Garza may give them good minutes off the bench, as could Chris Boucher, but they’re not starting-caliber players -- at least on good teams.
Unfortunately, the Celtics may just not be good this year. Going from championship contender to mediocre is jarring, but it’s not entirely unique. Both the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors found themselves in similar weird gap years in the past few seasons.
Golden State saw their 2019-20 campaign unravel after Kevin Durant skipped town to join the Brooklyn Nets. Even though the Warriors still had plenty of talent, injuries completely derailed things for them. Klay Thompson’s torn ACL was still healing after he tore it in the 2019 NBA Finals, and Stephen Curry broke his hand just four games into the season.
Philly had a similar collapse last season. Joel Embiid missed the start of the season with lingering knee issues and never quite got healthy. On top of that, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George dealt with their own issues as the year went on.
In both cases, the disaster seasons were rewarded with a top three pick. Thankfully, the Celtics own their 2026 first-rounder. They’ll at least have some safety net if things go awry.