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Jaylen Brown still believes the Celtics can make it to the playoffs in the 2025-26 season
The Boston Celtics are entering the 2025-26 campaign with a very different-looking team from the last time we saw them on the court. Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet are all on new teams, and Jayson Tatum is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. As a result, the spotlight is firmly on Jaylen Brown for the C’s.
With a mass exodus of talent taking place this offseason, expectations for Boston are the lowest they have ever been over the past decade. Despite that, Brown still has high hopes for his team, and he recently dished on their playoff hopes in the wake of several key departures and Tatum’s injury absence.
Jaylen Brown Still Expecting Celtics to Make Playoffs in 2025-26 Season
“I’ve never not been in the playoffs. I have more playoff wins than 15 or 16 teams. I know what it takes. I know this group has it. I know what we can accomplish.”
— Jaylen Brown says the 2026 Celtics will surprise a lot of people pic.twitter.com/sUZQVOWcbj
— CelticsUnite (@CelticsUnite18) October 6, 2025
After being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brown has helped usher in a new era of success for the Celtics alongside Tatum, who was also selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Brown and Tatum have helped Boston emerge as the most consistent playoff contender in the Eastern Conference since taking the reins of the team, and they ended up leading the team to victory in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Everything changed when Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks last season. With a lengthy recovery process on the horizon for him, the C’s front office worked on shedding salary in order to avoid the second apron of the league’s new salary cap.
With the aforementioned departures this offseason, Boston has accomplished its goal this offseason, and as a result, many folks think this will be a reset season of sorts for them. Brown doesn’t see it that way, though, and he recently made it clear that he believes the Celtics are capable of finding their way to the playoffs again, even with their somewhat depleted roster.
“I’ve never not been in the playoffs,” Brown said during a recent stream on Twitch. “I have more playoff wins than 15 or 16 teams. I know what it takes. I know this group has it. I know what we can accomplish.”
Jaylen Brown Sets Bold Playoff Goal for Celtics
Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty ImagesJaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
There’s a chance that Tatum could make a surprisingly quick return to the court for the Celtics, but even if he does, there’s no guarantee the team will find its way to the postseason. There are serious question marks on this roster, particularly when it comes to their frontcourt depth, and it remains to be seen whether Brown is capable of being the team’s top option on a nightly basis.
With guys like Derrick White and Payton Pritchard around him, though, Boston still has enough talent to remain competitive this season. So while the front office has set its sights on contending next season once Tatum is fully recovered from his Achilles injury, Brown still believes that the 2025-26 team can accomplish big things, even if the rest of the world is intent on writing them off before they even take the court.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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