Celtics face new season with a revamped roster, no Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown leading the charge

Boston Celtics

Last season: 61-21, lost to New York in Eastern Conference semifinals.

COACH: Joe Mazzulla (fourth season, 182-64).

SEASON OPENER: Oct. 22 vs. Philadelphia.

DEPARTURES: G Jrue Holiday, F/C Kristaps Porzingis, F/C Al Horford, C Luke Kornet.

ADDITIONS: G Anfernee Simons, F Chris Boucher, C Luka Garza, G Hugo González, C Amari Williams

BetMGM championship odds: 18-1.

What to expect

The Celtics aren’t a favorite to emerge from the East coming off a failed NBA title defense last season that ended with a conference semifinals loss to New York. It also included he loss of star Jayson Tatum to a ruptured right Achilles tendon, an injury that will sideline him for the foreseeable future.

That was the start of an offseason full of change that included Boston trading both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in salary dumps to get under the second luxury tax apron.

Also gone are veteran Al Horford and fellow big man Luke Kornet. It’s left the leadership reins in the hands of All-Star Jaylen Brown, who along with Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, will anchor a youthful roster that president of basketball operation Brad Stevens and coach Joe Mazzulla believe can keep the Celtics competitive while Tatum is on the mend.

Strengths and weaknesses

While Boston lost two starters and a chunk of the veteran core that contributed to the 2024 championship team, they still want to play fast on offense and cause chaos on defense for opponents. Brown will be the primary scoring threat with Tatum sidelined, but he has capable contributors alongside him in White and Pritchard.

They will also be bringing several new faces into the rotation. Yet it’s unclear how quickly Mazzulla can get newcomers like Simons and Boucher integrated into his system. That will go a long way in dictating how successful this group will be. The same is true on the defensive end, where Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman will need to help protect the rim and increase their rebounding output with Horford and Porzingis gone.

Players to watch

It starts with Brown, who will get his first true chance since entering the league to be the primary option for his team. He’s coming off a minor procedure on his knee this offseason, which is something to watch as his minutes will naturally increase. It’s also a big year for Pritchard, coming off earning NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors last season. He’ll get a lot more opportunities on offense and also will need to increase his scoring output for this team to remain relevant in the East.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA