Scan the NBA Futures odds among various sportsbooks and related sites and it will become clear that Celtics is still considered one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference.
Boston is a strong third place among conference teams behind only the defending champion Knicks and the offseason champion Sixers. Philadelphia won that unofficial title in stunning fashion Jaylen Brown intra-division trade with the Celtics, who received Pavel George and draft picks in return. And of course some guy named LeBron also signed with the Sixers.
Compare the Celtics’ roster to other potential contenders, and it’s certainly not a slam dunk that they’re above that group. The Pistons had the best record in the conference last season. The Cavaliers advanced to the conference finals and retained their main group. Miami and Toronto add star forwards, while the Pacers are one season removed from the NBA Finals and will get their franchise player, Tyrese Halliburtonback in the lineup this season.
Naturally, the fate of the Celtics depends on how well Jason Tatumthe body withstands the rigors of the NBA season. He quickly recovered from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered during the 2025 postseason and played in 16 regular season games last season. Without Brown, Tatum will have to carry a huge offensive load night after night.
George, 36, can’t be counted on to suit up every night and is past his prime after making nine All-Star teams. The veteran forward has played in more than 56 games over the past seven seasons.
Combination of rear area Derrick White and Peyton Pritchard it’s a solid, if unspectacular, duo, and more is expected of the 2024 first-rounder Baylor Schaerman this season. The only obvious upgrade the Celtics made was on the back end of the defense with the addition of a free agent Mitchell Robinson. He will share minutes with Nehemiah of Quetta in the center.
Many pundits thought the Celtics would fall in the standings last season because of all their cost-cutting moves to get below the second tax bracket. Instead, they finished with the second-best record in the conference, and those personnel losses didn’t catch up to the playoffs when they squandered a 3-1 series lead against the Sixers. So never underestimate their franchise.
However, the East as a whole looks a lot stronger this season than last.
This brings us to our topic of the day: Do you agree with the odds that the Celtics are the third best team in the East? If not, where among the conference contenders?
Please go to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.