Why the FORMIDABLE Celtics are still a top-5 team in the East | Celtics Talk

Why the FORMIDABLE Celtics are still a top-5 team in the East | Celtics Talk

July 29, 2026



Why the FORMIDABLE Celtics are still a top-5 team in the East | Celtics Talk

Chris Forsberg and Tom Giles break down the four biggest reasons Celtics fans should be optimistic about the upcoming season. They discuss whether Jayson Tatum can reach MVP form, what Mitchell Robinson will bring to the roster, and how the team’s young players can make an impact. Plus, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Amy Fadool joins the Celtics Talk Podcast to share what the Celtics can expect from Paul George this season.

00:00 – Why fans should be optimistic about the Celtics this season
18:00 – How Paul George can help the Celtics
28:00 – Why the Celtics will be a fun team to watch in the regular season

View Comments (23)

  1. I think we're going to be massively disappointed with Mitchell Robinson. Dude can't play more than 24 minutes a game, if that, and he has lost a lot of athleticism. Lobs? Come on. Below the rim. Not as mobile as he was when he entered the league and can only play in three four minute spurts. Yes, I know he can offensive rebound and Joe likes his metrics, but why hasn't anyone mentioned how many games the dude has missed the past few seasons? He's missed more games than he has played over those three seasons.

  2. Why the doom and gloom? We did great last season, and now we are taking that roster, swapping Brown for Tatum (upgrade) and adding Mitch Robinson. Also all the up and comers will be a little better too.

  8. The Celtics are PROBABLY a top-5 team in the East with little to no chance of contending for the championship this season. Thank you, Brad Stevens.

  9. Philly could very well be a train wreck this year. People forgot what happened with Kyrie’s stacked Celtics, the KD/Harden/Kyrie Nets, the Kobe/Nash/Howard Lakers, etc etc etc.

  10. Only formidable because Mazulla or whoever has the team playing hard every single night in regular season. Come playoffs it is a whole different game. So congrats on regular season success (though it will be interesting with new lottery rules)

  13. They can be. Depends what breaks their way. They are in the middle tier with Miami, Indy, cavs, and Detroit. Teams that could make a deep run in the playoffs but things gotta break their way but not a real contender. I hope they can make a trade at the deadline or next offseason to put them back in the hunt (steph?)

  14. Sixers coming out the East and OKC or Spurs out the west! That's how the 2027 season ends. I hope Tatum can at least get MVP. Brad dropped the ball and made a super team develop in our division. Mike Conley and Paul George is such a let down. I am still shock we didn't get Giannis just because we couldn't trade some bench players. It angers me to even watch a game this season. Well hopefully Patriots will ease the pain.

  15. You don’t go from Achilles tear> early return> miss game 7> mvp season loading …. It’s gonna take Pritchard becoming a top 10- 12 pg in the nba and Derek white having the big bounce back year. Tatum is gonna take so many threes and is not gonna be a drive and dish guy anymore. If Celtics make their 3’s we will have a chance of winning playoff series….we haven’t made our 3’s in the playoffs since 2024

  16. Let's also add that Brad really hasn't fixed the issues he pointed out at the end of the season. I thought all the smaht kids and analysts were all now down on Brown and the regular season results if it doesn't help in the post-season. Well, where are the guys who are going to help the Celts flip the switch in the post-season? Tatum can't do it alone. Even if they win 56 games again, I don't see how they end up getting very far in the playoffs. Looks like another gap year to me unless they get someone else.

  17. Celtics run a systematic basketball, with plug-and-play players with next man up mentality. If these facts doesn't change then, I know we'll still be competative.

  18. We have won more regular season and playoff games than any other team since Jaylen Brown was drafted. And we were a top two team in the eastern conference without Jayson Tatum. But if we make this bold move, we can vault into the top 5! And build a Celtics killer in the Atlantic Division.

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