Before the 2025-26 NBA season began, the majority of the basketball community dismissed the Boston Celtics as a serious threat. As crazy as that may seem, the thought process was justified considering they would be without Jayson Tatum. However, they have shut all the doubters up with their impressive 22-12 start. The scary part is that the team hasn’t completely closed the door on Tatum possibly returning this season.
The Celtics were one of the favorites to win the NBA championship last season. Unfortunately, their hopes came crashing down along with Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury. That led to a snowball of moves, including trades that sent Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to new teams. In the matter of a few months, the Celtics’ championship core was eviscerated.
At the time, people still had doubts about whether Jaylen Brown could lead a team. Derrick White would assume second option responsibilities, which would be the first time in his career. There were also questions surrounding the team’s bench depth, which led to many experts overlooking the perennial Eastern Conference contender.
Despite all the doubts, Boston didn’t waste any time in picking up where they left off. They currently are 22-12 for the season, and sit third in the East and are on pace to position themselves for potentially another deep postseason run.
NBA analyst Tim Bontemps’ belief in the Celtics has increased drastically, and it is in large part due to Brown’s performance this season.
“Let me say, Jaylen Brown is having a phenomenal season,” Bontemps said on The Hoop Collective. “He’s doing it with Jayson Tatum out as the number one option, being the focal point of the defense every night.”
To say Brown is having a great season is a bit of an understatement. The former Finals MVP is averaging 30.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He’s putting up career-highs across the board and making an excellent case for an All-NBA First Team nod.
Most importantly, he has propelled the Celtics into an Eastern Conference contender yet again. However, their fear factor could reach even greater heights if they receive reinforcements before the postseason.
“I will continue to say if Jayson Tatum can come back and be some facsimile of what he was before he got hurt, the Celtics are a real threat in the East. All these other teams have very serious flaws, and the Celtics have been there and done that,” Bontemps proclaimed.
The only teams ahead of the Celtics in the standings are the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks. Although the Pistons are great, they are still a young team that lacks a secondary star alongside Cade Cunningham.
The Knicks have proven to be a thorn in the Celtics’ side, but they don’t have the same elite defense they once did. A fully healthy Celtics team could certainly utilize its experience to prevail in a postseason environment.
Of course, this is a tall task to ask of Tatum, who hasn’t played competitive basketball in a handful of months. Regardless, it’s impossible to ignore championship pedigree, which is something the Celtics definitely possess.