“That is not anything I would’ve remotely entertained two months ago.”
Jayson Tatum prior to a Celtics game in November. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
December 9, 2025 | 10:42 AM
4 minutes to read
The growing buzz around the Celtics: Heading into the 2025-26 season, expectations were unusually low for the Celtics, but for good reason. Superstar Jayson Tatum was expected to miss most (if not all) of the season due to the ruptured Achilles he suffered in the playoffs back in May.
In addition, salary cap maneuvering left Boston without two pillars of its 2024 championship run (Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were both traded). Added to that was Al Horford’s departure in free agency for the Warriors.
And yet, while oddsmakers initially ran away from the Celtics as a contender in the short term, Boston has quietly put together a five-game winning streak (and has won eight of its last 10). Currently, the Celtics are actually third in the Eastern Conference.
The positive developments from the Celtics drew the attention of NBA analysts on the ESPN podcast, “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective.” Windhorst, an ESPN NBA reporter, referenced Boston’s surge in a recent episode alongside fellow analysts Tim Bontemps and Tim McMahon.
Bontemps pointed out that much of the recent shift in Celtics’ fortunes came with the improved shooting for Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, both of whom have assumed greater responsibilities with Tatum out.
“That’s mainly what’s changed,” he explained, citing the duo’s improved 3-point shooting. “Those guys went from missing everything to making their normal amount of shots.”
Bontemps then unveiled an interesting pivot in the usual run of NBA takes: What if the Celtics could compete this season?
“Joe Mazzulla doesn’t need a lot to have a chip on his shoulder and be motivated, and he came into this season and the Celtics came into this season motivated to show that this was not going to be a throwaway season,” he explained.
In addition to Mazzulla’s creative coaching success, the Celtics also find themselves competing in an Eastern Conference that currently lacks a seasoned frontrunner that’s existed in years past.
“The East has come back to Boston,” Bontemps pointed out. “They’re finding a way to win these games. We talk about the Sixers playing small and not really having any bigs, the Celtics are sometimes playing with essentially Jaylen Brown or Jordan Walsh, who’s like a 6’8” string bean at center.
“They’re flying around, creating turnovers, making plays, and they’ve now put themselves in a position where if Jayson Tatum comes back sometime late in the season and can get anywhere near Jayson Tatum level…if they have Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard going into the playoffs, nobody’s going to want to play them in a playoff series.”
“I think that’s a big ‘if’ with Tatum,” said McMahon in response.
“I agree,” added Bontemps, “but it’s at least something to think about now where that is not anything I would’ve remotely entertained two months ago.”
“It’s within the realm of possibility,” McMahon admitted. “I think anything they get from Tatum this year has to be considered a massive bonus.”
Bontemps rooted his take in a note of caution, especially given that even after returning, Tatum would clearly not be at his usual standards.
“They have been playing well. Look, I’m not sitting here saying they’re definitely going to win the East,” he said.
“You’re not?” questioned Windhorst.
“I’m not,” Bontemps replied. “But the Jayson Tatum question becomes more interesting by the day if they continue to win games and look like they could be a team that could be a factor in the playoffs without him. I think that’s more a symptom of the weakness at the top of the East, but these guys have proven playoff experience.
“Their leading guys have all won a title. None of the other guys in the East have won anything, so they’re going to walk into any series thinking, ‘Hey, if we’re ready to go, we can go head-to-head with anybody and feel good about it.”
Trivia: The Celtics could conceivably face the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. How many times have those two teams played each other in the ECF in NBA history?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: The first time it happened was 1987.
More from Boston.com:
Breaking down the Winter Meetings: Some analysis of the Red Sox at the MLB Winter Meetings.
On this day: In 2001, the Patriots defeated the Browns 27-16 to keep the winning streak going (a streak that would eventually run its way all the way to a Super Bowl victory).
The highlight of the game was Troy Brown’s punt return touchdown, which gave New England the lead for good.
Daily highlight: While the version from the actual NFL broadcast was also entertaining, here’s Tony Jefferson (aka Sulley from Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” franchise) making the game-ending interception of Jalen Hurts on Monday night.
Trivia answer: Three times (1987, 1988, and 2008)
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.