The Boston Celtics’ season came to a crashing halt last Friday night, with a 119-81 blowout loss to the New York Knicks, losing the series 4-2. And frankly, as an avid Celtics fan, I’ve needed a bit of time to sort through this one mentally—hence the week between the season’s end and my thoughts being formulated. For a team that was expected by many to, at the very least, contend for back-to-back NBA titles, this loss is impactful on many levels.

A seemingly franchise-altering shift

In the fourth quarter of game 4 at Madison Square Garden, the game was virtually decided. The Knicks were pulling away, and it was looking like the Celtics were going to lose another game in which they had a double digit lead.

This was when one of the Celtics’ franchise cornerstones, Jayson Tatum, went down after lunging for the basketball, and went down writhing in pain and grabbing his right ankle. At this same time, just about every Celtics fan held their breath as team trainers tended to Tatum. He was helped to his feet, and he couldn’t put any weight on his right leg. A clip from the ESPN broadcast later showed Tatum being assisted through the tunnel in a wheelchair.

It was truly the worst case scenario for Boston—they had won their 18th championship banner the year before, and they were now in the midst of yet another deep playoff run. While it was presumptively coming to a close, there was hope that Boston could showcase its oodles of talent to take down an inferior New York team.

The following day after the loss, Tatum was diagnosed with a torn right Achilles tendon, per ESPN. The news broke late in the afternoon on Tuesday, and it was reported that Tatum had already undergone surgery. It’s also devastating news for the league, as Tatum is one of the NBA’s top stars—not to mention he signed the league’s most expensive contract on July 1, 2024, a 5-year, $314 million extension (NBA.com). Furthermore, Celtics fans collectively realized what they were in for—potentially a full season without their superstar that they’ve counted on so much.

What does this all mean for the future?

In the aftermath of Tatum’s injury, there are obviously a multitude of questions. The first query, and likely the most notable, is how Jaylen Brown responds. In a postgame interview after Boston’s game 5 win at home, Brown exuded support for his counterpart, stating, “This one’s for you, JT. Get well, bro.” With Tatum being out for at least the majority of next season, eyes will turn to Brown to be a catalyst regularly. Fortunately, Brown is already adept at being a tone setter and a spark for Boston early in games, so Brown should relish this sudden opportunity.

The next clear question is what the roster will look like at the start of next season. Boston has a new majority owner in Bill Chisholm. The Celtics also need to get under the luxury tax this summer. Starters Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis have been two names that are rumored to be involved in trade talks, along with rotational piece Sam Hauser. Either way, the roster could look drastically different in the coming months, and President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens—along with the rest of the front office—is tasked with sifting through all of it.

What can the Celtics do right now?

The Celtics do have one thing going right for them currently, and that’s a competitive roster, even without Jayson Tatum. Despite trade speculation from national NBA analysts and reporters, starters Jaylen Brown and Derrick White should both remain on the roster going into the 2025-26 season.

In the event that Jrue Holiday is traded, Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard is more than capable of stepping in as the team’s starting point guard. Preparing for his second season in the NBA, Baylor Schierman will be a reliable shooter on Joe Mazzulla’s bench. Aside from the aforementioned four pieces, every player on the roster is arguably expendable, whether they depart via free agency or trade.

It will be compelling to see what direction soon-to-be 39-year-old Al Horford elects to go in this offseason. An unrestricted free agent this summer, Horford has been such a steady veteran presence for Boston over the years, and his leadership in the locker room has been commended by countless members of the organization. If he decides to either retire or accept a larger deal elsewhere, his void will be felt greatly on and off the court. Backup big man Luke Kornet, who’s also been a key member of the team for multiple seasons, will also become an unrestricted free agent.

A free-flowing season to come

In the postgame press conference following the game 6 loss, Derrick White expressed a genuine and authentic reality check, stating “It sucks. Never gonna get this season back. Never gonna have the exact same team again” (Sports Illustrated). The actuality of the situation is one that both the entire Celtics organization and fanbase don’t want to accept, but it’s staggeringly true.

If you’re a Celtics fan who occasionally chooses to look on the bright side, then next season will likely be packed with those instances. It’s the first season in years in which the Celtics will presumably have zero expectations. They’ll be without their best player for most—if not all—of the season, and the spotlight will be on Jaylen Brown to carry the load on both ends of the floor on a nightly basis.

Brown’s performance, along with Derrick White and Payton Pritchard exceeding expectations, will be more than enough for Boston to be a playoff team, but not nearly adequate enough to have NBA Finals expectations tied to them. This will enable the Celtics to play free every night, and not feel the pressure from the outside, even if they clamour that they don’t sense it.

That’s not to say the Celtics won’t be an entertaining basketball team, though. They will still be competitive and be able to hang with the league’s best. The verdict will be revealed in the spring, when the team is challenged to win a series. As was the case with the wait for the 2024 NBA Championship, the narrative of the Celtics for next season can be described the same way—only time will tell.