Previewing the Boston Celtics for the 2026-27 Season
The Boston Celtics have had a chaotic last few months. Blowing a 3-1 lead to the Philadelphia 76ers was very unexpected, and then the team trading Jaylen Brown for Paul George and a couple of first-round picks, after almost securing a deal that would have basically been a Jaylen Brown-Giannis Antetokounmpo swap, was very shocking. The team is still projected to be a solid squad this season, but after getting worse overall while many other teams in the East improved, it may be difficult to do so.
The Roster
Point Guards- Payton Pritchard, Mike Conley, Devin Carter (Two-Way Contract)
Shooting Guards- Derrick White, Hugo González, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh
Small Forwards- Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser, Dillon Mitchell (Two-Way Contract)
Power Forwards- Paul George, Ron Harper Jr., Chris Cenac Jr., Amari Williams (Two-Way Contract)
Centers- Mitchell Robinson, Neemias Queta, Luka Garza
The roster definitely has some changes compared to a season ago. The biggest one, like I have mentioned, is Jaylen Brown being replaced with Paul George. This will give Tatum full control as the number one option and open up more shots for Payton Pritchard as the starting point guard. Also, the team brings in Mitchell Robinson. The former Knicks center will get his chance to have a bigger role on a team that hopes to be competitive this season.
Biggest Questions
The first question I have for this team is what can Paul George actually bring to Boston this season? George is obviously still a very talented player, but he is getting older and has had some injury issues over the last few seasons. The Celtics moved on from Jaylen Brown to bring him in, and I think that is a pretty big risk considering the difference in age between the two. However, I do think George can still be a very good player, and playing alongside Jayson Tatum could be a great fit for him. If he can stay healthy and play at an All-Star level, I think Boston will be in a great position to compete in the East. But that is a big if, and it will be interesting to see if the Celtics made the right decision moving on from Brown.
Another major question I have is who will step up in the frontcourt? The Celtics have some decent options at center with Mitchell Robinson, Neemias Queta, and Luka Garza, but I really don't think this is a great center rotation compared to some of the other contenders in the Eastern Conference. Robinson is a very solid defensive center when healthy, but that has been a major issue for him throughout his career. Queta has shown some nice flashes, and Garza can provide some offense, but I think they will need more than that if they want to make a deep playoff run. I definitely think this could be a position Boston looks to improve at the trade deadline if things aren't going well. Time will tell if one of these guys can step up and make the frontcourt a strength rather than a weakness.
The last question is how good can Payton Pritchard be this season? Pritchard has continued to get better over the last few years and now has a chance to prove he can be a very good starting point guard on a team with championship expectations. I think Pritchard is a very underrated player, and he has shown that he can score at a high level when given the opportunity. With Tatum and George on the roster, he won't have to carry the offense, but he will still be a major part of the team's success. One thing I am interested in seeing is if he can continue to put up big numbers while playing alongside two stars who will need the ball. I think he definitely has the talent to have another excellent season, but we will see how big of a role he can have on this roster.
Prediction Markets
Some of the current future betting lines for the Celtics are as follows:
Regular Season Win Total: Not provided
To Win the NBA Finals: +1300 (5th Best Odds)
To Win the Eastern Conference: +500 (3rd Best Odds)
To Reach the Conference Finals: +210 (3rd Best Odds)
To Reach the Conference Semifinals: -125 (2nd Best Odds)
To Win the Division: +195 (2nd Best Odds)
To Make the Playoffs: -900
To Participate in the Play-In Tournament: +360
To Win the NBA Cup: +1000 (3rd Best Odds)
These odds put the Celtics toward the top of the league and show that they are expected to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Having the fifth-best odds to win the NBA Finals and the third-best odds to win the Eastern Conference shows just how high the expectations are for Boston. I think it is interesting that they are still considered one of the favorites despite moving on from Jaylen Brown and bringing in an older Paul George. This team definitely has the talent to make a deep playoff run, but there are still some major question marks surrounding the roster, especially in the frontcourt. I think Boston could definitely exceed these expectations if things go right, but a lot will depend on the health of Jayson Tatum and Paul George. The Eastern Conference is stacked this year, and it will be interesting to see if the Celtics can remain one of the top teams despite the major changes they made this offseason.
Final Prediction and Outlook
I think the Celtics will have a solid season, but I am not as high on them as some other people are. Moving on from Jaylen Brown and bringing in Paul George is a major risk, especially with George getting older and having injury concerns. I think Jayson Tatum will have another excellent season, and Payton Pritchard will continue to improve, but I do have some concerns about the depth of this roster. The frontcourt could definitely be an issue, and I think that will hurt them throughout the season. Boston still has plenty of talent to be competitive, but with how stacked the Eastern Conference is, I think they will struggle to keep up with some of the better teams. I don't see this team being a serious championship contender this season.
Final Prediction: 44-38 9 Seed Play-In Loss
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