The 2026 playoffs ended disastrously for the Boston Celtics after a surprisingly great season.
The team was without All-NBA First Team member Jayson Tatum due to a torn Achilles, but still finished as the second seed, led by Jaylen Brown, whom many thought would struggle as the number one option on a title-contending team. After choking away a 3-1 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Celtics finally cut ties with Brown after a legendary 10 years with the organization, following a fallout from a trade that would have sent the Cal Berkeley product to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 2025/26 season is in hindsight now, and all the Celtics can do is look forward to what will be one of the most unpredictable years in franchise history.
Team media day was just a few days ago and we saw George in his new green threads alongside fellow new faces Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley, who made their way to Boston during the offseason.
In recent weeks, George said he understands the frustration Celtics fans feel after trading away a beloved player like Brown; he expressed empathy for the fanbase and made it clear there were no hard feelings. It looks as though the former all-star is fitting right into Boston after some reassuring comments about his welcome.
“Since I’ve been here, it’s been nothing but happiness and greatness,” George said.“There’s just a great energy in this building. […] I think this will be a really good chapter in my career.”
While the former Pacer isn’t expected to be his prime self, the team will benefit immensely if he can play the role of a three-and-D wing and serve as a fallback option if Tatum isn’t on that game.
Next, Derrick White spoke to reporters about his expectations for the season and his thoughts on the shooting slump he endured for most of last year.
“Everybody thinks I had a great summer, and I’m ready and I feel good and confident that I’m ready to go,” White said.
The Colorado product is a vital piece of the Celtics’ success as one of the league’s premier role players who has historically been one of the best floor-spacing defenders of this era. His shooting slump is “Something that I think I corrected,” he told reporters — a good sign for the team moving ahead.
Running alongside White in the backcourt will be Payton Pritchard, a longtime Celtic who says he’s still improving his game despite speculation that he’s reached his ceiling.
“Everyone always tries to put people in a box, and for every year of my career, people have put me in this box of like ‘this is the player who he can be’,” said Pritchard. “Those expectations, I feel like I blow them out of the water.”
The Celtics guard has been on an upward trajectory since joining the team in 2020, and this year looks like the one when Head Coach Joe Mazzulla is asking for even more production. Now that Brown is gone, Pritchard will be expected to increase his numbers and could become the second option behind Tatum. If there’s one thing Pritchard has managed to do over his NBA career, it’s to prove people wrong. There’s no doubt the Oregon native can put up 22-23 points per night with his elite shooting and ability to get what he wants inside.
Mazulla himself had a surprisingly tame media day in terms of ridiculous responses to questions; however, he did mention his unique growth as a coach: “I don’t know if it’s that I’m better [but] I’m different; I’ve been changed,” said Mazulla.
Finally, Jayson Tatum’s presence at media day was a welcome one for Celtics fans, after he spent close to a year on the sidelines with his Achilles injury before returning for just a short period. In that period, Tatum was electric. Seeing someone come back from such a devastating injury to arguably play better than before is simply unheard of.
Now fully healthy, he will be leading this Celtics team without Brown by his side for the first time in his ten-year career. This is not only an opportunity for Tatum, but also a chance to make a statement.
The East looks more dangerous than ever, and with a roster full of shakeups, this is the Duke products time to show why he’s one of the greatest players of this generation.