The locker room heading into training camp is going to look different for the Boston Celtics, as for the first time since 2016, Jaylen Brown wouldn't be around. The Celtics are entering the 2026-27 NBA season with the goal of achieving similar success as they did last year, or perhaps even top last season's 55-win performance without Brown, who made it to the All-NBA Second Team last season.
That is going to be a difficult task, and one that requires everything to go the Celtics' way. For starters, Jayson Tatum has to be 100 percent healthy and able to take on a superstar burden on a nightly basis. Tatum did play 16 games towards the end of the 2025-26 regular season, and he suited up in six playoff games before he had to sit out Game 7 of their first-round clash against the Philadelphia 76ers due to an injury.
There are no indications that Tatum will be anything less than 100 percent healthy heading into training camp, which is good news for the Celtics.
The Celtics will also need Paul George to be healthy for most of the campaign and play at a level similar to how he performed when he came back from his 25-game suspension towards the end of last season.
But this Celtics team is a wins machine anyway regardless of whomever head coach Joe Mazzulla sends out there on the court. Nonetheless, it will be an interesting topic of conversation as to which starting five Mazzulla enters the season with.
At the moment, however, it seems like only three players are guaranteed a starting spot — Tatum, George, and Derrick White. The Celtics might end up mix and matching with their other two spots, but here's why one player in particular is in danger of losing out on a starting spot more than the other.
Payton Pritchard might end up in a bench role yet again
It almost seems disingenuous to say that Pritchard is in danger of losing a starting spot when he didn't exactly start for Boston following the trade deadline, when they dealt away Anfernee Simons to add Nikola Vucevic.
He came off the bench in all seven games of their first-round loss to the 76ers, and he started just 50 out of the 79 contests he suited up in last season. Nonetheless, Pritchard looked like a very good candidate to step into the starting lineup with Brown gone.
Some believe that the Celtics were more willing to trade Brown away to the 76ers since they had supreme confidence that giving Payton Pritchard more usage can help make up for the massive loss in shot-creation and offensive prowess brought forth by Brown's departure.
However, the Celtics don't have a ton of depth at the guard positions, and Mazzulla may have to make the call to bring Pritchard yet again off the bench to better balance the roster.
Boston did sign Mike Conley to provide some guard depth, but Conley is now 38 years of age. Conley did contribute in spurts during the Minnesota Timberwolves' playoff run last year, but he averaged a career-low 18.4 minutes per game last season and played even more sparingly (14 minutes per game) in the postseason.
Maybe in the regular season, Mazzulla would be more willing to give Conley a huge role. The Celtics also aren't afraid to stagger minutes, so even if Pritchard were to start, they can take him out of games early and time his return to action properly so that he can still lead the bench units in usage.
Article Continues BelowIt's not the craziest thing in the world, however, for Mazzulla to simply roll with White as the nominal point guard anyway, with Tatum taking on the majority of offensive creation to start off games. George is not too shabby with the ball either, as he can contribute as well as a secondary playmaker and ballhandler.
Pritchard is not a bad defender by any means, but starting the game with White at the one and a bigger wing at the two, like Baylor Scheierman, Sam Hauser, Ron Harper Jr., or Hugo Gonzalez, helps lean more into the defensive identity that Boston has made their money off of with Mazzulla at the helm.
It might be the best use of Pritchard's skillset to have him run the show whenever Tatum is resting, and him not being a starter doesn't mean that he won't close out games for the team anyway.
Pritchard averaged 17.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.0 games off the bench last season, including a 36-point outburst against the Atlanta Hawks on March 27. This is a role he's comfortable in, being a former Sixth Man of the Year awardee, and if Mazzulla can convince him to come off the bench yet again, this could end up being beneficial for Boston in the long run.
Why Neemias Queta will be keeping his starting spot over Mitchell Robinson
The Celtics did make the addition of Mitchell Robinson, signing him to a three-year, $47.4 million contract to steal him away from the New York Knicks. Considering his track record as one of the best offensive rebounders and one of the most intimidating shot-blockers in the game, one would think that he could end up usurping Neemias Queta for the starting center spot.
But Robinson also has a long history of injuries. He did play 60 games last season, but he only played in 48 games combined in the two seasons prior. In particular, his ankle has a tendency of bothering him, and the Celtics are going to be careful with him the way the Knicks have been these past few years.
Queta has earned the trust of this Celtics coaching staff, and he started 75 out of a possible 76 games for Boston last season. He is a big win for Boston's development staff, and they rewarded him with a four-year, $56 million contract extension — signaling their trust in him as a member of this core for the long haul.
He averaged 10.2 points and 8.4 rebounds last season in 25.4 minutes per contest, and he is surely going to keep his starting spot barring an unforeseen development in training camp, as this should help keep Robinson healthy throughout the season. Queta will take on the brunt of the workload in the regular season, and come playoff time, it should become more of a timeshare between him and Robinson, depending on matchups.