The Celtics were expected to be a play-in team after Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the 2025 playoffs against the Knicks. They went on to be the second seed in 2025-26, and while they were eliminated in the first round by the 76ers, they subverted preseason expectations by a wide margin.
Going into the 2026-27 season, Boston no longer has Jaylen Brown after trading him to the 76ers. With Tatum the clear-cut offensive focal point, his father Justin gave a brutal review of the current Celtics roster.
Jayson Tatum’s Father Does Not Think the Celtics Can Win the 2027 Title
On the “Ultimate Dads Unplugged” podcast, Justin Tatum admitted that he doesn’t have all too much faith in the current Celtics roster.
“Realistically, I might say New York might run it back… Right now, the [Celtics] roster’s [expletive].”
This led to a livid reaction from Lavar Ball, who couldn’t believe he didn’t pick his own son’s team to win it all. “I’ll slap the [expletive] out of you. If you don’t say the team your son is on, you gotta be crazy.”
This was especially jarring for Ball, as Jaylen Brown’s father, Marselles Brown, immediately picked the 76ers to win it all because his son now plays for Philadelphia.
The Eastern Conference is undoubtedly competitive now than it ever has been this decade.
The 76ers with Brown and LeBron James, Miami with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Pistons and the Cavaliers looking for redemption after earlier-than-expected postseason exits in 2026, and a slew of mid-tier teams like the Wizards and Hawks who are looking to burst into the top-four.
And of course, the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks are enough to round out a Herculean gauntlet in the East.
Tatum, in 16 regular season games last season, averaged 21.8 points and 10 rebounds per game. With a full offseason of recovery, it’ll be interesting to see if he’ll return to form and average 30+ points a game.
Joe Mazzulla has made it a mission to center his offense around shooting threes. Boston ranked fourth in the league last season in 3-pointers attempted at 42.1 a game.
However, with more iso-centric players such as George, Tatum, and Payton Pritchard, the Celtics may delve into more focused, half-court sets. Expect to see Mazzulla flex his basketball IQ with creative pick-and-roll sets, especially with Mitchell Robinson on the roster.
So, while Tatum’s father’s concerns are valid, the city of Boston has quite a bit to root for. There is a title-contending roster hidden within this group of players. It’s up to Mazzulla to unlock their potential on both ends of the floor and hand the keys of the offense to Tatum.
