The Celtics star is now the star of the show after the trade of Jaylen Brown.
On one hand, after trading Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, it feels like expectations are much lower for the 2026-27 Boston Celtics. I've already said, multiple times, that I see them as a No. 5 or a No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
However, on the other hand, it feels like there is real pressure on the C's to prove they made an acceptable decision as an organization. And it feels like there's pressure on Jayson Tatum to carry the entire organization in Brown's absence and to justify the decision to trade him. Tatum will be compared to what Brown did last year at every turn, from the on-court production to the in-locker room leadership.
Tatum has never been the unquestioned leader of a team before, and he's going to get that opportunity now. Ever since he came into the league, he's played behind guys like Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Kemba Walker and Al Horford, and he's played alongside guys like Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, but he's never been the true leader.
If the Celtics are going to beat the projections I've laid out for them, they're going to need Tatum to do all that - and then some.
One of the best players in the league, Tatum is a nine-year veteran of the Celtics. A six-time All-Star, a five-time All-NBA selection, an All-Star Game MVP and an NBA champion (2024), he's averaged 23.5 ppg for his career.
He averaged 21.8 ppg last season, but he only played 16 games after coming back from a torn Achilles in the 2024-25 playoffs.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts after his three point basket against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter during game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. David Butler II-Imagn ImagesHow will things work this year in Boston?
We know that Tatum is the head of the snake, but there are a lot of other moving parts for head coach Joe Mazzulla.
1) The team figures to be a three-point dependent team again, but they also have four exciting and capable big men (Neemias Queta, Mitchell Robinson, Luka Garza and Chris Cenac Jr.), so how does everything balance together?
2) Can Derrick White, who struggled to shoot last season, get back on track?
3) How healthy will Paul George remain, and how much can he help alleviate the pressure on Tatum?
4) Can Payton Pritchard take another step forward after a special 2025-26? And how about young players like Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman?
Up next
Training camp is less than two weeks away. It begins on Sept. 29.
