Celtics Seek Success Without Tatum

Nick Ewing and Matthew Willar

Business and Finance Manager, News Editor

The Boston Celtics have entered the 2025–26 NBA season facing unfamiliar terrain. After a dominant run that included the 2024 championship and years of contention, the Celtics have begun a transitional chapter defined by uncertainty, resilience, and the hope of sustaining their title window without their biggest star.

The major storyline is Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury, suffered in the playoffs last season. His absence, potentially for much of this year, leaves a massive scoring and leadership void. In his place, Jaylen Brown steps into the undisputed alpha role. Brown has long been the emotional heartbeat of the team, but this season is testing whether he can carry the offensive load night after night while maintaining Boston’s elite defensive identity.

Derrick White, fresh off his best statistical season, becomes equally critical. Expect White to take on expanded playmaking duties and remain a defensive anchor alongside Brown. Payton Pritchard, who won the sixth-man of the year award last season, could be poised for another massive year, especially if Boston plays faster and leans into its perimeter shooting.

So far, the team has started off rather slowly, losing to two of their main rivals, the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers. Brown, however, has started with an impressive stat line, averaging 25.4 points per game. The team currently sits at the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference.

The team has also seen success from some of their off-season acquisitions. Josh Minott, who the team acquired in free agency this summer, has been a force on both ends of the floor, which has earned him a spot in the starting lineup. Rookie Hugo Gonzalez has provided key minutes on the defensive end of the floor, and Anfernee Simons, whom the team acquired when trading away Jrue Holiday, has helped the team offensively off the bench.

These players, although not making up for Tatum’s absence, have helped maintain the Celtics’ culture of accountability, effort, and two-way discipline, keeping them firmly in the playoff mix. Vegas projects around 45–47 wins, a drop from recent 60-win campaigns, but still enough for a middle-tier seed in the East. If Tatum returns late in the season, the Celtics could instantly transform from a resilient playoff team into a dangerous dark horse.

The 2025–26 Celtics won’t be defined by dominance, but by determination. This season is about weathering adversity, developing depth, and proving that Boston’s championship DNA runs deeper than one superstar.