Predicting Celtics’ win total, and how 2025-26 season ends – NBC Sports Boston

Itâ€s the end of the road for our Ramp to Camp series. So, itâ€s only fitting we try to predict how the 2025-26 season will end for the Boston Celtics. 

For the 20th and final installment of Ramp to Camp, we asked our panel to predict both the Celtics†final win total for the upcoming campaign, and how exactly the season will end.

Maybe this writer is just drunk on Green Kool-Aid from being over at the Auerbach Center this week. Maybe weâ€re just feeling all the positive vibes as new owner Bill Chisholm ascends to the big chair. Or maybe weâ€re overreacting to watching Jayson Tatum saunter across the court at the Auerbach Center looking impossibly smooth despite still being in the early stages of his rehab from Achilles surgery. Or maybe weâ€ve just heard too many tales of just how energized Joe Mazzulla is to coach this new-look group.

We think this team is going to surprise people. We see a current over/under of 40.5 wins at sportsbooks and wonder if anyone told them that Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard are still on this roster. 

Sure, we acknowledge that there are voids to fill on this team. You donâ€t lose the likes of Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, AND Luke Kornet and not have a frontcourt to rebuild. Weâ€ll relent that the margin for error is far slimmer, and even a minor injury could really complicate matters for the Celtics. 

But we also refuse to believe this team wonâ€t be competitive on a night-to-night basis. Weâ€re certain that the players on this roster are ready for bigger roles and more opportunity. Weâ€re certain that the banners hanging above the parquet will be a constant reminder of what everyone is working to get back to. Weâ€re certain Mazzulla will have the Celtics operate with a collective chip on their shoulder. 

We have the Celtics at 46-36 and fighting for a spot in the top half of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. We suspect the Cavaliers, Knicks, Magic, and Pistons will finish ahead of Boston. But the Celtics will be in the mix with Atlanta and Milwaukee for a spot in that No. 4-No. 6 seed range.

What happens from there? We suspect it all depends on if and when Tatum is back on the court, how close he is to his old form, and if the Celtics elect to toss him into playoff basketball. But weâ€re calling it now: Boston wins a first-round series and heads into the summer of 2026 convinced that this team will be back in title contention for the 2026-27 campaign. 

Again, a lot has to go right. The Celtics really need some less-than-established big men to make some strides. But the Brown-White-Pritchard trio can hold the fort with help from Sam Hauser and some of the newcomers. Tatumâ€s return will ensure a brighter future regardless of how it all plays out. The absence of expectations will allow this team to play free, and there will be far more good nights than bad.

Letâ€s get the new season started.

Here are the predictions our panel made:

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

The Celtics go 43-39, extending their streak of non-losing seasons to 11 and barely avoiding the play-in tournament as the No. 6 seed in the East.

They match up with the No. 3 seed Magic in Round 1, and while Tatum is back in the lineup, he’s not quite up to full speed. Orlando exacts revenge for its 2025 first-round exit by dispatching the pesky Celtics in seven games.

The good news: There’s plenty of optimism heading into 2026-27, with Neemias Queta looking like a legitimate starting center and Payton Pritchard emerging as a go-to starting guard alongside Derrick White.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

Final record: 46-36. Having a superstar player should be enough to be better than .500. Having a solid organization from the front office to the coaching staff should be worth something, too. I’d be shocked if they bottom out and end up in the lottery or something to that effect.

I think a ton of the roster will get tremendous opportunity to develop just by virtue of the minutes that are needed to be played, and I think if they end up avoiding the play-in tournament, they could beat a No. 3 seed in a first-round series.

That would be a pretty good season without their best player, even if doesn’t lead to them drafting in the top 10.

Sean McGuire, Web Producer

I’m projecting Boston finishes 48-34 on the season. They make the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, upset the No. 3 seed Indiana Pacers in six games and then fall in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Too much green drink? Maybe. But I’d be more than content with it.

Josh Canu, Media Editor

Final record: 51-31. I am pretty optimistic with this team in terms of the regular season. I think the mix of experience, motivation, and the pace I expect them to play with will win them a lot of games.

Depth is still my biggest concern, but I think they have enough on most nights to be a top-four seed on the East without Tatum.

Kevin Miller, VP, Content

I’m predicting 45-37 and a second-round playoff exit, which sets the table for an aggressive offseason.

Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy

Final record: 44-38. The Celtics make the playoffs outright; no play-in tournament. They pick 17th in the NBA Draft, which is a little low for their liking, but isn’t a competitive season more exciting anyway?

Neemias Queta will move into a legit role, which will be a nice win for Brad Stevens as Queta enters the final year of an affordable contract.

Kayla Burton, Celtics Pregame Live host

I have the Celtics at 43-39 and finishing sixth in the East. They make the playoffs and lose in the first round to the Knicks in a rematch series. Jayson Tatum is back for that series and Neemias Queta becomes the team’s most improved player.

Source link