"While the rankings are in line with recent Boston squads -- the Celtics have finished inside the top 10 in all three categories in four consecutive seasons -- those versions included players such as Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Luke Kornet, to name a few. Four of those players left Boston over the summer, while Tatum remains sidelined as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered during the playoffs."
"With so much roster turnover, the potential of a gap year became a top summer storyline in Boston. Instead, the Celtics are on pace to win at least 50 games for the fifth straight season and can still make a run at the Detroit Pistons for the conference's top seed."
""The fact they're missing Tatum and not missing a beat," a Western Conference executive said, "is unbelievable.""
Boston is 30-18 and tied for second in the Eastern Conference more than halfway through the 2025-26 season. The team ranks second in offensive and net rating and 12th in defensive rating. Significant roster turnover occurred over the summer as multiple contributors left, and Jayson Tatum remains sidelined recovering from a torn Achilles suffered during the playoffs. Despite those losses and expectations of a gap year, Boston is on pace for at least 50 wins for a fifth straight season and still can challenge for the East's top seed. The roster has embraced an underdog role and could gain a major boost in the playoffs.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]