The Boston Celtics will kick off the 2025-26 NBA season without Jayson Tatum.
With Jayson Tatum out due to a torn Achilles tendon, the Boston Celtics will be led by none other than Jaylen Brown.
After all, the C’s have already traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. So, they barely have any other player than Brown, who is capable of fulfilling a leadership role for the Celtics.
Even though Brown won the NBA Finals MVP during the Celtics’ 2024 championship run, most view him as an inferior player compared to Tatum.
Long-time Celtics analyst Bob Ryan agrees with that narrative as he recently made that claim on CLNS Media Boston Sports Network.
“I like him, he’s fine. He’s a wonderful player. There’s a level of hierarchy in all sports. He’s at the next level, the very good level,” Ryan said.
He added: “But he’s not at that level, I don’t think. Just a chance to prove everybody wrong.”
Last season, Brown averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game as the second option for the Celtics.
These numbers are likely to go up, but even then, Brown has an uphill battle to climb in hopes of proving his critics wrong.
Despite finishing with a 61-21 record and earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference last season, the C’s aren’t expected to enjoy the same level of success next season.
Tatum’s injury combined with the front office blowing up their core is the key reason behind that narrative.
But what’s a realistic spot for the Celtics in the East standings next season? Ryan believes they will likely compete for the seventh or eighth seed.
“Naturally, there’s some blowback from young ins. ‘Who’s the old guy? What’s he talking about?’ He’s on record now, and I agree with him. I think they’re going to be lucky to be in that seven/eight mix,” he stated.
Ryan’s co-host, Jeff Goodman, was a little bit more unforgiving, talking about the Celtics.
“I think they’re going to be fortunate to avoid the Play-In. I really do,” Goodman boldly stated.
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