Boston Celtics
“I believe Jayson can be first within the East, and I believe they’d’ve made it out that recreation seven.”
It’s been lower than every week for the reason that Boston Celtics’ 2025-26 season got here to an in depth after falling to the Philadelphia 76ers within the first spherical with a brutal Sport 7 loss.
Boston’s common season was a powerful success. The group completed with the second seed within the Japanese Convention with Jaylen Brown on the helm earlier than Jayson Tatum made his long-awaited debut in March after recovering from a torn Achilles. Gamers like Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh had breakout seasons, serving to to show that the group was nonetheless proficient even with out Tatum.
In what was broadly anticipated to be a “hole yr” for the Celtics, they achieved main success and located a strategy to the postseason with Tatum again at principally full energy.
However that was the common season. Issues didn’t go as deliberate within the postseason.
Boston blew its first 3-1 playoff sequence lead in franchise historical past, and Philadelphia made its first-ever sequence comeback down from 3-1 to advance to the second spherical and face the New York Knicks.
Tatum didn’t play in Sport 7 because of knee stiffness, forcing head coach Joe Mazzulla to get inventive. He ran out a head-scratcher of a beginning lineup, which finally got here up brief.
There was no scarcity of storylines following the disastrous finish to the Celtics’ season, specifically surrounding Brown. Tracy McGrady stirred the pot earlier this week when he mentioned that Brown was “pissed off” with the group, prompting Brown to clear the air on a Twitch stream.
Brown additionally known as out ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on social media when the media character urged the participant is making an attempt to get traded away from Boston.
Within the aftermath of their first-round exit, former Celtics participant and assistant coach Evan Turner provided his opinion on the Brown vs. Tatum debate.
“I believe what Jaylen did this yr with that group, going second (within the East) and doing all this, that, and the third, and killing it, I consider Jaylen – that that speaks volumes,” Turner mentioned on SiriusXM Radio’s “NBA As we speak”. “I believe if Jayson – if it had been the opposite means round – I believe Jayson can be first within the East, and I believe they’d’ve made it out that Sport 7.”
Turner was an assistant coach for each Brown and Tatum in Boston in 2020-21.
Earlier than the postseason started, Turner spoke with AthlonSports.com in March about Brown’s MVP possibilities. Turner praised Brown for stepping up in Tatum’s place and serving to to make his teammates higher.
“I believe he’s essentially the most useful to his group, all the pieces thought of,” Turner said. “As a result of they weren’t alleged to be there. You understand, he’s taking part in with a variety of first-year guys who’re actually getting minutes.”
“I believe there needs to be some practical consideration in that sense as a result of as soon as once more, it’s again to the highest,” Turner added. “Guys are thriving and what else does that say?”
Brown and Tatum have been topic to a participant versus participant debate for years at this level, so on paper, that is nothing new. However with the Celtics’ championship window probably fractured after how the primary spherical went and what McGrady mentioned of Brown, the talk feels prefer it might even have legs.
Brown is beneath his supermax contract till after the 2028-29 season, when he’s set to develop into an unrestricted free agent. There aren’t any substantial reviews as of but that Boston is fascinated about buying and selling Brown, and the participant has mentioned on Twitch that he “loves Boston”, needs to play there for one more decade, and that this previous season was his “favourite” but.
However, given how the season ended and Brown’s mentor and pal McGrady’s feedback, the path of smoke is just too intriguing to disregard as Boston enters one other essential offseason.
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