The Boston Celtics will have a lot of evaluation time next season. We discuss what the team needs to learn.
What is the most important thing the Celtics need to learn next year?
Mark Aboyoun
That they’re going to lose games — and that’s OK. It’s been awhile since this team, and the fan base. Has really experienced regular season adversity. Even without Jayson Tatum, I still expect Boston to finish well above .500. But there will be games they should win and don’t, simply because they’re missing a top-five player. There will be moments when someone needs to take over and make a play — usually that’s Tatum, but he won’t be here next year. Jaylen Brown has shown he can step up, but with more defensive focus on him, there will be updates and downs. This group is still talented enough to win a lot of games, but adjusting to inconsistency — and learning from it — will be part of the process.
Mike Dynon
My hope is, first, that the Celtics speed up their offense to look for more transition opportunities and rely less on the halfcourt game. Without Jayson Tatum handling the ball in the set offense, they’ll need to find another way to create good shots. There’s nothing better than the running game to do that.
Second, play hard every night and make life difficult for the opposition. Yes, the roster is gutted. Depending on what Al Horford does, the Celtics will begin the season missing four or five of their core from the last two years. Also, expectations are low – this won’t be another 60-win season. But the Celtics can’t allow themselves to think that way. They need to hang around, see what happens with Tatum’s recovery, and make the playoffs. Perhaps win a playoff series. That would be a successful season, and they could have the satisfaction of playing the “nobody believed in us” card.
Steve Hooper
Push the Pace!!!
Nirav Barman
The one aspect of the game that the Celtics will really have to learn is how to play as a team. Jayson Tatum does so much for them in terms of scoring, playmaking, gravity, defensively, and rebounding. All of that is gone next year. The active guys will have to deal with a lot more defensive pressure than they’re used to, and they are going to have to be more active defensively than they’re used to. Everyone’s roles and responsibilities just got bigger, and the important thing is for the players to learn how to manage it together. They can’t get caught up trying to do everything themselves with this increased opportunity – they have to grow within the system, even if the system looks a little different this year.
Jack Anderson
Learn what you have with the young guys. Summer League wasn’t great for Baylor Scheierman but I think he still has a chance to be a good player in the league, his passing was good during the summer and the end of last season. Jordan Walsh is likely on his last legs but if they still like him they should see what they have. Josh Minott, Luka Garza, Neemias Queta and the rookies also. They need to see who can be on the next Celtics champion behind Tatum, Brown and White.
Jeff Clark
If you close your eyes and picture what the roster will look like starting the 2026-27 season, you likely see Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and …everything else seems blurry.
So I think the most important thing the team needs to learn next year starts at the top. How well does Jaylen Brown adjust to being the star and focal point of the offense (as well as opposing defenses)? Can he do enough playmaking to make those around him better? Can he get off the ball quickly enough to get it back later?
As a bonus, I’ll be watching to see how much White and Pritchard can level up with larger roles.
Jake Issenberg
The Celtics need to learn if any of their young guys can help the team win Banner 19. There’s stuff to like about all the young guys: Hugo’s motor, Baylor’s passing, Walsh and Minott’s length and athleticism. Those traits are fun. Can any of these players build out a skillset by the time the 2027 playoffs roll around that is worthy of 11 minutes in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals? The Celtics need to find out. Over-indexing on prioritizing winning this season by playing Gorges Niang or Anfernee Simons too many minutes, leaving players like Gonzales stapled to the bench, would be a mistake. Play the young guys. If they’re bad, the Celtics will pick higher in the draft; if they’re good, the dynasty is back on