While the annual NBA general managers survey featured the Celtics heavily in past years, it’s more muted ahead of the 2025-26 season. That’s natural as expectations are lower for the C’s coming off major roster changes over the summer.
Still, Jayson Tatum was listed as one of the top small forwards in the league by NBA executives in the survey. Tatum came in at second place with 20% of the vote, only behind the Lakers’ Luka Doncic at 40% of the vote. Tatum also remains injured as he rehabs his Achilles injury that will keep him out for the start of the season.
The Celtics were major favorites to win the 2025 NBA title when they earned 83% of the preseason votes to win the title. However, they didn’t get any votes this year to win it all. The Thunder are massive favorites to go back-to-back, earning 80% of the vote for first place. The Cavaliers and Nuggets are tied for second with 7% of the vote with the Rockets and Knicks also getting a vote.
The Celtics also came in at eighth place in the East rankings in the survey. The Cavs, Knicks and Magic are expected to be at the top of the conference. The Hawks, Pistons, Bucks and 76ers, in that order, are also listed ahead of the Celtics.
Other notable votes included some praise for Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. He was tied for third alongside Warriors coach Steve Kerr in the “best manager/motivator of people” among head coaches. Mazzulla was also tied for fourth along with Clippers coach Tyronn Lue for which head coach has the best defensive schemes. Sam Cassell was also tied for fourth place for best assistant coach in the NBA.
While the Celtics aren’t expected to compete for a title, their season could go a number of different directions. They still have top-end talent like Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, but the supporting cast is a bigger question mark. So, how the Celtics’ season plays out will depend on the role players, many of whom are trying to make their mark on the league.
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