Expectations are low for the Boston Celtics as they approach the 2026-27 NBA season. They’re not seen as a genuine championship contender following the decision to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this summer.
Interestingly, Boston’s roster is stronger than the one that secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference during the 2025-26 campaign. The issue is that the rest of the East has improved, including Philadelphia, which now boasts a genuine superteam.
Despite the improvements around Boston, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst still believes the Celtics can be among the best teams in the NBA, at least in the regular season.
“I just think Joe Mazzulla is going to be obsessed and the team is going to be obsessed with proving everybody wrong,” Windhorst said via the ‘Hoop Collective’ podcast. “…I would not be surprised if the Celtics end up with a top five or six record this season. That’s depending on the health of Jayson Tatum and reasonable health for Paul George…This is too high, but it may not be ridiculous.”
Of course, Celtics fans would counter Windhorst’s claims by noting that the postseason is what matters. Unfortunately, the Celtics aren’t expected to be contenders for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals or even the NBA Finals.
Celtics Have a Lot of Variables on Their Roster
Right now, all the focus is on Boston’s top-seven rotation. The questions surround the health of Tatum, George, and recently signed Mitchell Robinson. Derrick White will also need to provide Celtics fans with answers following a down year on the offensive side of the floor.
However, Joe Mazzulla has a string of young talent that could all take a developmental leap this season. Baylor Scheierman is entering his third year in the NBA, which is typically when a player takes their biggest stride. Then you have Ron Harper Jr., Jordan Walsh, and Hugo Gonzalez. All of them need to show improvement to earn minutes.
Rookie Chris Cenac Jr. is also an unknown commodity at this point in the offseason.
Therefore, the Celtics’ ceiling can rise as the campaign goes on. Whether any of Boston’s younger talents can take a big enough leap that it raises the team’s postseason outlook is another question entirely.
Brad Stevens Not Putting a Ceiling on Celtics Roster
During a recent appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Brad Stevens was asked about Boston’s chances of success this season.
“I’m never going to put a ceiling on this team,” Stevens said. “I really like this team; I think they’re really smart; I think they’re really versatile. We have 14 players under contract and a couple of two-way players.”
For the second straight year, Boston will walk into the season with a point to prove. If they can stay healthy, they have the talent to be among the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see multiple players have their minutes managed.
After all, the goal is to make noise in the postseason. To do that, you need your top stars to be at their best.
Celtics Predicted To Defy Expectations This Season