I know a lot of fans are writing the Boston Celtics off as legitimate contenders this season, and it's understandable. They traded Jaylen Brown for Paul George, shortening their title window and losing a ton of star power. They were just knocked out by the Philadelphia 76ers (who now look loaded on paper with the Brown and LeBron James additions this offseason) in the first round of the playoffs. And the rest of the East looks very competitive.
But at the same time, the Celtics have a very talented roster, and they should have a spot in the title picture. Mitchell Robinson was a great addition. We're about to see No. 1 option Jayson Tatum hoops for the first time. And this should be a big year for guys like Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez.
On paper, Boston has what it takes to surprise some people and go on another deep run. But there are some concerns about the team's playoff viability that can't be ignored.
Boston can be great regular season team, but it's the playoffs that matter
The Celtics have what it takes to finish as a top-six team in the Eastern Conference and skip the Play-In completely. They have a great head coach and staff. They have a certified star who could be in for a career year. They have a system that should run even more efficiently this season with George taking Brown's spot. And they have solid depth.
They also have some players with legitimate injury concerns (namely George and Robinson, who are both crucial to the team's success this year). They don't have a great backup plan if Tatum is out or is bricking too many shots. And while the Celtics won it all in 2024, "Mazzulla Ball" clearly has a ceiling if shots don't fall, and it would take a near-perfect performance for them to go all the way.
On top of all of that, it really can't be overstated how good the rest of the East looks now.
The New York Knicks are the reigning NBA champions. The 76ers look like a juggernaut (even though I'm not fully sold on them, I can't deny how high their ceiling is). The Indiana Pacers were one win away from winning a title the last time we saw a healthy Tyrese Haliburton. The Cleveland Cavaliers were just in the conference finals and added Peyton Watson, who should strengthen their lineup. And the Toronto Raptors, who were already a great defensive team, reacquired Kawhi Leonard.
Boston still holds up, and fans should be excited about what the team can do this season. The talent is there, and it seems like everybody is already on the same page. But that doesn't negate the concerns that are there, and the Celtics need to alleviate those problems as much as they can if they want to retake the crown as the top dog of the NBA.
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