When teams lose their best player, they tend to get worse. That’s especially true in the NBA, where superstars have such a big impact on a team’s success.

That hasn’t been the case with the Boston Celtics this year, however. Not only did they lose Jayson Tatum to injury, but they also lost Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet over the offseason.

And yet, the Celtics have been just as good as last year. They haven’t skipped a beat, going 37-19 and ranking second in the Eastern Conference. By comparison, they were 40-16 at the same point last season.

There have been many theories and explanations for why Boston’s been so successful this year, but Colin Cowherd summed it up pretty well on Monday’s episode of “The Herd.”

 

“The Celtics have been missing their star all year. And yet they’ve never lost their identity… It shows you what matters with Boston. It’s the difference between a team and a collection of players.”@colincowherd thinks Boston is just fine without Jayson Tatum this season pic.twitter.com/KmCgShZgds

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) February 23, 2026

 

“The Celtics have been missing their star all year, Jayson Tatum. And yet, they’ve never lost their identity,” Cowherd said. “They’re actually statistically a better defensive team without him…It shows you what matters with Boston. It’s the difference between a team and a collection of players. They’re well-coached, they’re collaborative, they’re intense.”

Cowherd continued to praise Boston for playing hard on both ends of the floor and getting the most out of its somewhat limited talent.

“Every Celtic, regardless of athletic limitations, is giving you everything on both ends,” Cowherd continued. “Everybody, every Celtic, both ends, is giving you everything. Totally engaged, winning every 50/50 ball.”

Ultimately, that comes down to Joe Mazzulla pushing his players hard and holding them to a high standard. That helps them make each other better and get the most out of their skill sets.

“They don’t lose their identity…It doesn’t change their effort. It doesn’t change their defense,” Cowherd added. “It slightly changes their offense. Jaylen Brown now takes a bigger role. He’s arguably their best player, even when Tatum was around.”

This season has tested Boston, but the team has overcome every obstacle in its path.

“When the going gets tough for the Celtics, they band together,” Cowherd said.

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