Celtics beat writerAdam Himmelsbach and NBA writerGary Washburn had an email exchange to discuss the upcoming Celtics season.
Adam: Well, Gary, that was a longer offseason than we’ve become accustomed to over the past decade. But it certainly was not boring. The Celtics have made it clear they are ready to move on from the Jaylen Brown era and would prefer not to answer questions about him anymore. But it was kind of a big deal!
Now that the dust has settled from president of basketball operations Brad Stevens’s stunning decision to trade Brown to the 76ers, how well-positioned do you think the Celtics are to reclaim their status as a championship contender without him?
Gary: I think the Celtics can be as good or better than last season, but they definitely lost a security blanket and a player guaranteed to get buckets and attack the rim. They’re going to need productive seasons from Mitchell Robinson and Paul George, both of whom have had injury and durability issues in past years.
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But the real key is Derrick White having an offensive bounce-back season, and the group of Payton Pritchard, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, and Sam Hauser taking steps forward. The defense should improve with the presence of Robinson and Neemias Queta, and they can compete with teams like the Knicks and 76ers if several players perform better than last season.
Related: With a new season tipping off, the page is turned on the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown era in Boston
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is going to need big scoring years from guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard to make up for the loss of Jaylen Brown.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is going to need big scoring years from guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard to make up for the loss of Jaylen Brown.
Adam: The additions are nice, and the departures are notable, but in the end the Celtics will go as far as Jayson Tatum will take them. His return last March following his May 2025 Achilles injury was admirable, and it was also important because it gave Tatum a few months to knock off rust in games that matter. But even though his traditional stats such as scoring and rebounding numbers were strong, his efficiency took a notable dip.
The guess here is that he was just getting his legs under him, but some caution might be required before he is considered an MVP candidate again. Also, with Brown’s departure, opposing defenses will make Tatum even more of a focal point. The good news is he’s an excellent and willing passer, too.
Related: Jayson Tatum says he has ‘a totally different perspective’ this year in training camp
Do you think someone needs to emerge as the clear No. 2 option? Or can it be a committee?
Gary: I do think there needs to be a reliable No. 2 scorer behind Tatum, whether it be Payton Pritchard, Paul George, or even Derrick White. My candidate is Pritchard. His scoring average has risen each of the past four years and he just signed a contract extension to cement his status as a Celtic.
I’m unsure how much the Celtics should depend on George to score. In addition to his history of injuries, he’s become mostly a perimeter player at this stage in his career. White, meanwhile, will need to prove his shooting stroke is back.
Related: ‘He’s just a maniac’ is one way to describe Celtics guard Payton Pritchard’s passion for basketball
So that leaves Pritchard, and he relishes these opportunities. That was evident last season, when he stepped into a prominent role while Tatum was out.
Adam: George was an important piece of the Brown deal, but he does not fully align with Tatum’s timeline. The keys to that trade were the 2028 first-round pick the Celtics will receive from the rebuilding Clippers, and the 2031 pick they’ll get from the 76ers.
Related: Explaining draft picks the Celtics received, and other answers to questions about the Jaylen Brown trade
Of course, neither of those choices really aligns with Tatum’s timeline, either. But they will most likely become valuable trade chips, perhaps as early as this February. What do you think Stevens will be monitoring as he looks for a substantial upgrade?
How much of an impact will veteran Paul George have on the Celtics' play at both ends of the floor?
How much of an impact will veteran Paul George have on the Celtics' play at both ends of the floor?
Gary: Brad has to look for a younger No. 2 option to pair with Tatum in his later years. They could use those two first-round picks as trade chips for a bona fide scorer. The player has to make considerably less than Tatum does, however. That was one reason Brown was traded.
The Celtics want a pyramid-like salary structure with Tatum at the top. But finding a future superstar in his early 20s that will eventually take the mantle from Tatum will be difficult. I think the Celtics desperately want to get Tatum a second title that puts him in a different all-time great tier than the likes of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.
Related: Shaughnessy: Brad Stevens sizes up his Celtics and takes measure of the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown relationship, plus other thoughts
Adam: Wait, we’ve been emailing this long and haven’t even mentioned Joe Mazzulla yet. We haven’t forgotten about you, Joe!
Mazzulla is in an interesting spot as he enters his fifth — wow, time flies — season as coach. He is the reigning NBA Coach of the Year, and last season guided an undermanned group to 56 wins. He is widely viewed as one of the game’s best tacticians and leaders, and the entire roster seems to have complete faith in him.
However, his teams have also lost as massive playoff favorites in three of his four seasons, with the 2024 championship team a notable exception. He is certainly not on the hot seat, and Stevens and lead governor Bill Chisholm are staunch supporters. But another rough postseason ending could ignite some difficult questions.
Related: Joe Mazzulla already seeing dividends from taking a different view this Celtics preseason
Speaking of the postseason, let’s end with a quick prediction for the people: Hit me with a win total and playoff outlook.
Gary: Say 49 wins and a trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals. I do think the Celtics will be better than last year because they’re so deep. To see guys like Gonzalez and Queta appear to have taken major steps forward and Tatum returning completely healthy, there’s a lot of reasons to like this team.
If they can stay healthy, there’s no reason to think they can’t reach the conference finals, and Brad can always make a shrewd trade deadline move to enhance the roster.