The current Boston Celtics core is in uncharted territory after starting the 2025-26 regular season at 1-3. Boston hasn't lost three of its first four games since 2015-16—the season before it drafted Jaylen Brown at No. 3 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.
With Brown facing adversity unlike any he's encountered on a basketball court with the Celtics, he did what fans have come to expect: Spoke the brutal truth out loud for all to hear.
Boston dropped its first three games by a combined total of 17 points. It was a run of devastating results against postseason-caliber opponents in the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and Philadelphia 76ers. It finally got its first win of the season on Monday, Oct. 27, however, when it secured a 122-90 blowout victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
When asked about Boston's poor start and the importance of the first win of the season, Brown didn't mince words. Instead, he acknowledged that it will take time for the Celtics to overcome the loss of five key players.
Per Noa Dalzell of Celtics on CLNS:
Asked Jaylen Brown about how he processes Celtics’ fan angst after an 0-3 start, and he explained the importance of patience:
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) October 28, 2025
“It’s going to take some time. We lost four All-Stars from last season between Al, Jrue, Kristaps, and JT being out. And Luke’s an All-Star to me.… pic.twitter.com/t2Y95XzaNc
It may not be the answer that people were hoping to hear, but Brown was brutally honest and, quite frankly, correct in his evaluation of the Celtics.
Jaylen Brown: "Going to take some time" to overcome Celtics' changes
Boston underwent drastic changes during the 2025 NBA Playoffs and offseason. That began when franchise player Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles tendon that could keep him sidelined through the entire 2025-26 regular season and perhaps the postseason as well.
It continued when Boston traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and lost centers Al Horford and Luke Kornet to free agency.
Many have speculated and even reported that Boston's motivation was to cut costs and avoid potential apron penalties. Whether or not that was the true motivation, the new governorship group doesn't seem to see an alignment between their vision for the future and what won the franchise a championship as recently as 2024.
With four All-Stars and one of the best backup centers in the NBA no longer in the rotation, the Celtics were destined to encounter their share of hurdles.
Thankfully, the Celtics still have one of the better perimeter quartets in the Association with Brown, Payton Pritchard, Anfernee Simons, and Derrick White. Sam Hauser offers valuable forward depth, as well, having shot at least 41.6 percent from beyond the arc in each of his four completed NBA seasons.
Losing Horford, Kornet, and Porzingis has inevitably depleted Boston's interior depth, however, thus leaving head coach Joe Mazzulla to replace them with a group of unproven commodities.
It may ultimately work out in the end, particularly if Neemias Queta continues to show signs of promise at center. The harsh reality remains, however, that the Celtics lost five of their best players, including a superstar in Tatum who has earned All-NBA First Team honors in four consecutive seasons.
The Celtics have enough talent to overcome the rough start to the 2025-26 season, but as Brown noted, patience will be essential as this team navigates new horizons.