Over the course of six hours on Monday, the Celtics held their 2025-26 media day at their Auerbach Heart observe facility.
13 gamers, two Celtics decision-makers and one world-renowned scientist held information conferences throughout the marathon occasion, which befell in the future earlier than Boston’s first coaching camp observe.
Right here was one huge takeaway from every of these 16 pressers:
Brad Stevens
The phrase of the day for Stevens was “unproven.” Boston’s president of basketball operations used it 4 occasions to explain his workforce’s roster, which misplaced half of its rotation this offseason whereas including only one participant with actual NBA beginning expertise.
“And after I say unproven, I’m not shopping for into any narrative of what they’ve been,” Stevens stated. “We have a look at what they’ll do. Can you are taking what they’re able to and make it an every-night, constant factor? And when you might have a chip in your shoulder, whenever you’re aggressive and also you’re motivated since you haven’t gotten alternatives but, some actually good issues can occur.
“So I’m to see it, and we’re simply going to judge it these first few months and see the way it appears, see the way it comes collectively. Be affected person with the truth that we’re getting some new guys collectively, however on the similar time, be very optimistic and never restrict us, and don’t put a ceiling on us.”
Stevens famous that the Celtics returned their total teaching employees, which he believes will assist get their new additions up to the mark extra rapidly.
Jayson Tatum
Twenty weeks faraway from Achilles surgical procedure, Tatum stated he’s felt “no strain” from Stevens, Mazzulla or anybody else within the group to return “any prior to after I’m 100% wholesome.” He’s made encouraging progress, nevertheless, and lately resumed on-court workouts.
Tatum is in a “actually great spot” in his restoration, he stated, however expects some “mentally difficult” days forward as his Celtics teammates start coaching camp, then open the season whereas he stays sidelined. The perennial All-NBA choice has not skilled a protracted in-season layoff, by no means lacking greater than 5 consecutive video games at any level in his profession.
Joe Mazzulla
Mazzulla largely spoke in generalities when requested in regards to the Celtics’ offseason turnover, saying the aim is all the time to maximise the gamers you might have. His most fascinating feedback have been associated to Tatum’s restoration, through which the pinnacle coach has been an active participant.
“I believe it’s a duty as a coach to be there on your guys,” Mazzulla stated. “So each time I may carry with him, each time I could possibly be there for remedy, each time I may rebound for him, I believe it was essential to try this. I believe as a man that’s going by stuff, it’s important to know that you simply’re going by it collectively, and I believe that’s a bit that’s essential. So I used to be there for the primary time he walked, I used to be there for the primary time he ran, I used to be there for the primary shot that he took. I believe it’s essential.”
Mazzulla additionally swiftly shut down an oblique query about Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons, the highest choices to fill Jrue Vacation’s vacated beginning spot.
“Let’s nip that within the bud instantly,” he stated. “These two don’t go hand in hand. They’re utterly totally different guys.”
Chris Boucher
Like a lot of the Celtics’ veteran newcomers, Boucher stated the chance for extra enjoying time drew him to Boston. The 32-year-old received a championship within the first of his seven seasons in Toronto however noticed his position shrink lately because the rebuilding Raptors favored youthful gamers.
“After I first got here right here and talked to Brad and all, they have been all telling me how they wished me for a number of years already, so it felt good to have the ability to be able the place I’m wished and I’m in a position to assist,” stated Boucher, who can fill a number of frontcourt roles. “Additionally, with the way in which that this yr goes, I believe there’s lots of alternatives for me to have the ability to be on the court docket and present what I’m able to doing as a vet, and no matter place they put me in.”
One other nugget: Boucher acquired his baptism the week earlier than camp started, with Mazzulla in attendance.
Anfernee Simons
Simons, acquired from Portland within the Vacation commerce, appeared genuinely energized by his new environment. He stated he was “tremendous excited” to affix the Celtics group — of which he heard rave evaluations from former Path Blazers teammate Evan Turner — and has no qualms about not being Boston’s “No. 1 possibility” or doubtlessly coming off the bench behind Pritchard.
“I perceive the scenario I’m coming into, and I perceive my targets as a participant and as a workforce — we need to win,” stated Simons, who began for the Path Blazers for the final three seasons. “I need to win. I need to contribute to profitable on the highest degree. No matter that appears, I’m effective with. It may well range game-to-game, that’s what’s been stated. I’m fairly simply excited in regards to the alternative to play with all these guys and, like I stated, contribute to profitable.”
Simons, a gifted scorer and high-volume 3-point chucker, has had what he known as “trustworthy conversations” with Mazzulla about his protection — the weakest factor of his recreation over his seven NBA seasons.
“We’ve talked about it,” he stated. “It’s only a matter of if I need to do it or not. It’s actually that easy. Coming right into a tradition like this, you might have to have the ability to adapt otherwise you’re not going to be within the place that you simply need to be in.”
Neemias Queta
The returning Celtic with the most important position enhance this season could possibly be Queta, who shot from fourth to first on the middle depth chart following the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet. The 7-footer is hoping to construct off his encouraging efficiency for his native Portugal final month at EuroBasket 2025.
“Conserving the identical confidence, utilizing the identical voice, simply being vocal,” he stated. “Being one of many guys that has extra expertise right here for a little bit now, I simply need to ensure that I’m making an attempt to assist the blokes and simply make their transition seamless, the brand new guys, to allow them to be up to the mark, and all of us may be on the identical web page. As a result of that’s the way in which to win.”
Baylor Scheierman
Like a number of of the Celtics’ younger gamers, Scheierman spent a lot of his offseason in Boston as he ready for Yr 2 of his professional profession.
The 2024 first-round draft decide believes followers will see extra defensive playmaking from him after he made a number of promising late-season cameos as a rookie.
Luka Garza
Every time Garza has spoken with reporters since he signed with the Celtics in July, Garza has echoed the purpose: The possibility for larger enjoying time drew him to Boston.
“That is an unimaginable alternative for me, particularly at this stage of my profession,” stated Garza, who was buried behind Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid and Karl-Anthony Cities throughout his three seasons in Minnesota. “Clearly the final couple years, I’ve been on some groups with some with unimaginable depth, particularly within the huge man place, so to be right here, I simply really feel like there’s an actual likelihood for me — actual alternative, actual runway — to go on the market and present what I can do.”
Garza — who, like Simons, is thought extra for his offense than his protection — will compete with Queta, Boucher, Xavier Tillman and rookie Amari Williams for enjoying time in Boston’s unimpressive frontcourt. (Tillman was the one rostered participant who didn’t have a information convention, although he did seem on NBC Sports activities Boston’s media day broadcast.)
Payton Pritchard
Requested in regards to the beginning guard debate, Pritchard had the identical response as Simons.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Yr stated. “Beginning or coming off the bench, that’s one thing that I’ve no management over. That’s Joe’s choice. My solely mindset is after I contact that ground, I convey my greatest. So if I’m beginning, I’m prepared for that. And if I’m coming off the bench, I’m not going to be bitter about it and cling my head. It’s when my quantity’s known as, I’m prepared. And that actually must be the mindset of this complete workforce.”
Pritchard laughed in regards to the NBA rule change that can now not rely end-of-quarter heaves towards a participant’s capturing share. He’s by no means been shy about trying these pictures.
“I might’ve taken them regardless, however perhaps it’ll profit me in having a better 3-point share now,” he stated. “So perhaps it’s a great factor for me. I undoubtedly took one most likely about each recreation. So I’d go from a 41(%) to 43.”
Jordan Walsh
Walsh has made simply 26.6% of his 3-pointers over his two seasons with the Celtics. He expects that quantity to climb this season.
“I really feel like I’ve come a great distance with my 3-point shot,” he stated. “I really feel like if I’m open and I’ll catch the ball, it’s stepping into. And I really feel like my workforce feels that method, and I really feel just like the coaches and employees really feel that method too. So simply making an attempt to make use of that to my benefit, like getting the respect of not similar to our guys, however just like the defenders to shut out on me, after which utilizing my athleticism to get downhill, get to the rim, no matter.”
The 21-year-old Walsh, who nonetheless is certainly one of Boston’s youngest gamers, made 38.9% of his threes throughout this yr’s NBA Summer season League. Replicating that success may lastly land him a spot in Mazzulla’s rotation.
Hugo Gonzalez
Talking of younger gamers, Gonzalez doesn’t flip 20 till February. The Celtics drafted the teenage Spaniard hours after his Actual Madrid squad received its home league championship in June, and he virtually instantly started the continuing means of adjusting to the American recreation.
“The American basketball, it’s totally different from from European one,” Gonzalez stated. “It takes a course of. It doesn’t take two, three weeks. It’s a little bit bit longer. Hopefully, I’ll attempt to minimize it up as a lot as I can. I believe that I’m on an ideal path, however I believe that you simply all the time have one thing to study.”
It appears unlikely that Gonzalez might be a right away contributor for Boston, however his status as a high-energy workhorse ought to make him a great match for the Celtics’ plan to dial up their tempo and play faster this season.
Josh Minott
Minott, a rangy 6-foot-8 ahead who performed with Garza in Minnesota, delivered the quote of the day when requested about Mazzulla.
“He’s inspiring, in truth,” Minott stated. “He’s a little bit little bit of a weirdo. However he’s an ideal dude. He’s somebody that conjures up, like, ardour. He’s undoubtedly somebody that, man, simply from the month-and-a-half of understanding him, I really feel like I’d run by a wall for him, in truth. He simply has that impact on individuals.”
Sam Hauser
Hauser “in fact” noticed that his title was talked about in commerce rumors this offseason. He was nicely conscious that Boston may have shipped him out a la Porzingis and Vacation in its pursuit of luxury-tax aid, and he would have understood if that was the case. However he’s grateful the Celtics selected to maintain him.
“You attempt to block it out, however you actually can’t, to be trustworthy with you,” the 27-year-old sharpshooter stated. “However I do know it’s a part of the enterprise. I used to be ready for no matter. If I used to be gonna get shipped, nice. I stayed, fortunately. I’m glad to be right here. However even when I have been shipped, I had no laborious emotions right here. They gave me a chance when nobody else did. They prolonged me. They needed to do what they needed to do, and I understood it, however I’m glad I’m right here, to say the least.”
Hauser, one of many success tales of Boston’s participant growth program, is a candidate to begin this season after three years as a core reserve.
Jaylen Brown
Brown, the participant within the brightest highlight this season with Tatum unavailable, had a digicam crew following him all through media day for a reside stream on his Twitch channel. The Tenth-year professional has leaned extra into off-the-court endeavors like streaming and his 741 Efficiency model over the past yr, which Brown stated displays a shift his perspective towards self-expression.
“I might say lots of occasions I’ve felt like I needed to function a sure method with a purpose to sort of shield myself,” he stated. “It was sort of the way in which that I felt like I needed to be so as to not, like, lose my thoughts a little bit bit. However I really feel like I’ve gotten to some extent in my life the place I’m at peace, and I really feel like I can categorical extra of myself to the world, in a way the place I simply haven’t opened up at everywhere in the final 5, six, seven, eight, 9, 10 years. So simply beginning that journey. I began perhaps a yr in the past, doing a little various things, designing, simply expressing myself extra creatively, however extra so simply exhibiting the world who Jaylen Brown actually is.”
As for whether or not he’s motivated to show himself as a real prime canine in Tatum’s absence, Brown stated he cares much less about these narratives than he used to.
“To be trustworthy, I really feel like previously, the surface voices, I might be mendacity if I stated they didn’t encourage me, as a result of they did,” stated Brown, who’s made one All-NBA second workforce in his profession. “At this stage in my life, I’m unsure if I achieve motivation from that. I really feel like, perhaps the narrative that we have now grown to see just like the one possibility or regardless of the case could also be, to me, that’s by no means actually been a factor.”
He added: “All of the strain, all of the expectations, all these things is actual, however I don’t must put something further on myself in any respect. I do know who I’m. I do know what I’m able to, so I’m going to simply shine my gentle and let the chips fall the place they might.”
Derrick White
As certainly one of simply two clear-cut starters on the Celtics’ roster, White acknowledged that his offensive involvement may enhance this season. However he’s deliberately not setting any statistical targets and desires to keep away from making an attempt to do an excessive amount of.
“I do know I don’t play nicely after I begin considering like that,” he stated. “Simply sort of learn the sport, learn what my teammates are doing. We’ve obtained lots of guys that do lots of various things, and so some video games, perhaps I’m on the ball extra, and (there might be) different video games the place I’ll simply be a spacer like I’ve been. So simply perceive that each recreation could be totally different and simply do regardless of the workforce wants for that recreation.”
Bonus: Invoice Nye
Sure, that Invoice Nye. He and Brown struck up a friendship final yr, sparked by the Celtics star’s appreciation for science and training. Brown flew to Los Angeles earlier than coaching camp to attend the disclosing of Nye’s star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame, and Nye returned the favor by touring to Boston to conduct “traditional science experiments” on the Celtics facility for Brown’s Twitch stream.
Earlier than donning his lab coat, Nye attended Brown’s information convention and even held his personal impromptu media scrum.
“All of us admire it {that a} man at that prime degree is worried with bringing individuals up behind him, younger individuals,” Nye, carrying a inexperienced swimsuit jacket and inexperienced bowtie, stated of Brown. “… It’s incredible. He’s a mannequin for everybody. It’s simple to say, however he’s the true deal.”
