Celtics standings projection: Can Boston secure a top-3 seed in the East?

Even after trading Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics will remain a top-three team in the East, from this vantage point.

The 18-time NBA champions lost a former Finals MVP, but there are still plenty of reasons to be this bullish on their outlook this season.

What they now have is a roster tailored to Jayson Tatum. And while they've shifted to a one-star system, it's even better constructed for Joe Mazzulla's system.

The case for the Celtics finishing in the top 3 in the East

Poaching Mitchell Robinson from the New York Knicks alone will help Boston win the possession battle more often than a year ago. His arrival lets his new team build upon a strength that helped them defy external expectations and win 56 games in the previous campaign.

Robinson's impact on the offensive glass and his hard-hitting screens will further empower the Celtics to take even more 3s. Some may roll their eyes at this. And there will be nights when they lose because they couldn't find the mark. However, more often than not, that approach will work out in their favor.

And while Paul George should have to earn his spot in the closing lineup, he is a better shooter than the beloved homegrown star he's replacing. He converted on 41.7 percent of the 4.5 catch-and-shoot 3s he hoisted last season, per NBA Stats.

Defensively, Boston ranked fourth in defensive rating last year. They yielded the fewest points per game in the regular season. This new iteration of the C's should finish in the top five in those categories. It stands to reason that they'll get more from their ascending wings, like Hugo Gonzalez at that end.

Robinson and Neemias Queta are a duo that gives them high-level rim protection throughout the game. And the Celtics saw in the playoffs what George can do as a perimeter defender when he's healthy. There's a real chance for them to be even better on that side of the ball this season.

There's a valid concern about this team's ability to stay healthy. That goes beyond George and Robinson; Tatum's entering his first full season since tearing his Achilles. Also, Derrick White is 32 and shoulders a significant workload.

However, they have the depth to navigate the 82 games building up to the playoffs and maintain the maximum-effort approach that helped them finish second in the East last season.

Where will the Celtics finish in the standings?

The prediction here is that they will end the 2026-27 campaign third in the East.

The Knicks are the reigning champions, and most of their title team remains intact. Even as they pace themselves as they try to return to the top of the NBA summit, they have the talent and identity to take the conference's regular-season crown.

This author projects that the Philadelphia 76ers will finish second in the East. A starting five of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid could prove to be the best first unit in the league. The Sixers can keep at least two of them on the floor throughout a contest. They also understand this is a short-lived chance at a championship. That lends itself to this group making the necessary sacrifices to maximize their opportunity.

Yes, they must pace James and Embiid. There are fair questions about their durability for different reasons. Given the lack of quality options behind their former MVP center, that position could be their Achilles' heel.

Philadelphia's first unit might also not shoot the ball well enough in crunch time. But before getting to the final stretch, players like Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade will help them from beyond the arc. Those two will also help pace those in the starting lineup. That's a critical part of why they can push for the top seed in the East without demanding too much of James and Embiid.

The Celtics have the identity and system, the franchise star, the shooting, defense, and depth to finish ahead of formidable teams like the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and the Toronto Raptors in the conference standings. In this author's opinion, they'll achieve that while settling in behind the Knicks and 76ers.

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