It’s been a busy summer for the Boston Celtics. Brad Stevens has made multiple moves to get the franchise out of the second luxury tax apron. Boston was facing a $500 million payroll for the upcoming season before Stevens’ flurry of moves.
Unfortunately for Celtics fans, those moves mean the franchise is unlikely to be a contender in the upcoming season. There has been a significant talent drain this summer.
However, during a recent episode of the “White Noise” podcast, Derrick White revealed that multiple new members of the Celtics roster are already in Boston, putting in work to be ready for training camp.
“Obviously, we’ve got training camp and everything, and I’ve heard everybody is already out there (in Boston) pretty much, so they’re already probably getting a start,” White said. “But then we’re just hooping. We’ve got a bunch of competitors.”
Boston added Hugo Gonzalez, Luka Garza, Josh Minott and Anfernee Simons to the rotation this summer. Max Shulga and Amari Williams are also part of the franchise on two-way contracts. If some of those new additions can hit the ground running next season, the additional work they’re putting in will be of huge benefit.
After all, the Celtics have low expectations on their shoulders, especially as Jayson Tatum is expected to miss most, if not all, of the season.
Derrick White Expecting Celtics To Adjust Systems
During the same podcast episode, White admitted that he expects the Celtics to approach things differently in the upcoming campaign. He noted how the roster is younger, and a lot of the championship roster has now left the franchise.
“It’s definitely going to be different. It has to be,” White explained. “We lost KP, Jrue, Luke, and obviously JT being out. So, you lose three out of five starters. And even Al. So it’s definitely going to change. We’re a younger team.”
If Joe Mazzulla can adjust his offensive and defensive approach, Boston could still be a tough opponent. However, the chances of the team making a deep postseason run have certainly shrunk. After all, there’s a significant lack of experience now, especially within the frontcourt rotation.
Jaylen Brown Backed To Shine For Boston Celtics
During a recent appearance on NESN’s “Hold My Banner” podcast, former Celtics forward Malik Fitts explained why he believes Jaylen Brown will rise to the challenge of being the Celtics’ primary option on both sides of the floor.
“He’s Finals MVP,” Fitts said. “I don’t know how you can doubt that. That year that he won Finals MVP, you saw the level at which he was playing. He was playing at a really, really high level. Even the year that I was there, we lost to the Warriors. He was playing at a really high level even then.”
Fitts continued.
“And I never really understood the hatred or any of the bad mouthing that they (some fans) had towards Jaylen. But I am curious to see how he will lead the team while Jayson is out. Personally, I think he’ll handle it well. I think he’s going to lead the team pretty well.”
Brown will have to shoulder a sizeable role in the 2025-26 season. However, he’s already proven himself to be one of the best forwards in the NBA. Now, he will get to showcase his full skill set as he leads the Celtics offense in Tatum’s absence. Brown is also likely to emerge as the team’s primary point-of-attack defender.
As such, Brown could be gearing up for a career year, and that’s a good thing for the Celtics, too.
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