Jaylen Brown Makes Bold Statement on the Celtics Chances in 2025/26

The Boston Celtics dominated all the way through the 2024 NBA Playoffs, winning their first championship under the core of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Unfortunately, 2025 didn't quite go their way, as the team was promptly eliminated by the New York Knicks in the second round, with Tatum suffering an injury that many believe will keep him out for much of the upcoming season.

The team would then move on from the likes of Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis, with fans believing this is a team in the midst of a retooling. That would include punting on the 2025/26 regular season, but according to Brown, who steps up as the team's top player this year, this is a team that can still be competitive.

“I've never not been in the playoffs. I have more playoff wins than 15 or 16 teams. I know what it takes. I know this group has it. I know what we can accomplish.”

On top of Tatum's injury, Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton also went down with an injury, and now, a wide-open Eastern Conference becomes even more wide-open. 

Alongside Brown, this team still has plenty of talent, with the likes of Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, with the team likely still having enough talent to, at worst, be a play-in team. Ultimately, there's a reason why the Celtics paid so much to keep Brown after using a top-five draft pick on him, and now, they're expecting him to prove it this season with a lack of stars around him.