Published for Celtics fans — October 2026
By Toxlay Sports Editorial Team · Last updated October 19, 2026
The Club
The Boston Celtics are the winningest franchise in NBA history. Founded in 1946 and based in Boston, the Celtics play at TD Garden in green and white — and own a record 18 NBA championships, most recently 2024. From the Bill Russell dynasty (11 titles in 13 years) to Larry Bird’s Showtime wars to the 2008 Big Three to the 2024 title team, nobody’s banners hang higher.
Last Season (2025-26): The Heartbreak
The regular season was a triumph: 56-26, first in the Atlantic, the No. 2 seed in the East — all with franchise star Jayson Tatum missing all but 16 games after a ruptured Achilles. Jaylen Brown carried the load at an MVP level (career-high 28.7 points per game, 4th in the NBA), Payton Pritchard broke out (17.0/3.9/5.2), Derrick White was elite on both ends (16.5/5.4/1.1), and Joe Mazzulla won Coach of the Year. Then the playoffs broke hearts: Boston blew a 3-1 first-round lead to the Philadelphia 76ers and lost Game 7 at home. Something had to change.
Best Players Right Now (2026-27 Roster)
Jayson Tatum, 28, Forward (#0) — The undisputed leader now. Fully healthy after 16+ months post-Achilles surgery, coming off a full camp and ranked the No. 2 power forward in the NBA by Sporting News. The entire offense runs through him.
Paul George, 36, Forward (#13) — The blockbuster arrival. Acquired from the 76ers in the Jaylen Brown trade, the nine-time All-Star is the proven two-way veteran Boston needed.
Derrick White, 32, Guard (#9) — The engine. Career-best 2025-26 on both ends; the two-way floor general who guards the other team’s best player every night.
Payton Pritchard, 28, Guard (#11) — The breakout star. From sparkplug to 32-minute-per-game starter, and he just signed a contract extension before the season.
Mitchell Robinson, 28, Center (#4) — The rim protector. The big frontcourt addition brings elite rebounding and paint defense Boston badly needed.
Neemias Queta, 27, Center (#88) — Earned an extension as the solid rotation big; rim protection off the bench.
Mike Conley, 39, Guard (#45) — The sage. Nineteen seasons of steady playmaking behind the young backcourt.
Sam Hauser, 29, Forward (#30) — One of the league’s purest spot-up shooters; instant spacing.
Baylor Scheierman, 26, Guard (#55) — Emerged late last season; cleared to play in the opener.
Hugo Gonzalez, 20, Guard (#28) — Young wing flashing in preseason.
Chris Cenac Jr., 19, Forward (#12) — The No. 27 pick in the 2026 Draft; raw, athletic, the future.
Head coach: Joe Mazzulla — Reigning Coach of the Year, now tasked with blending a rebuilt roster around a fully healthy superstar.
Star Spotlight: Stories You Should Know
Tatum’s comeback is complete. Sixteen and a half months after Achilles surgery that was expected to wipe out his entire season, Jayson Tatum returned in March for 16 games (21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists) and is now “getting more explosive,” in his own words at media day. Mazzulla says the injury concerns are “in the past.” This is his first full-strength season since the surgery — and he’s the franchise now.
The end of an era. Trading Jaylen Brown — the 2024 Finals MVP — to the 76ers, of all teams, for Paul George and four draft picks was the boldest move of Boston’s summer. The Tatum-Brown partnership defined a decade; now Brown wears a Sixers jersey and comes back to TD Garden wearing enemy colors. Must-see TV.
The hunt for Banner 19. Eighteen titles is the record — but the 2026 first-round collapse stung. A healthy Tatum, a veteran in George, and a top-four defense is a formula that has won before. The window is open again.
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This Season (2026-27): All Eyes on Tatum
With Tatum back at full throttle and a restructured core around him, Vegas set the win total at 51.5 — the second-highest in the East behind the Knicks — and the Celtics’ championship odds sit at +1300. The preseason was perfect: 4-0, including two wins over the 76ers (144-106 and 125-120 in overtime). The mission: get Banner 19.
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Games to Watch
When the Celtics play their biggest games? Here are the early-season matchups to circle — check Celtics tickets early, because these sell out:
- October 20 — at Detroit Pistons (opener, 3 PM ET, NBC): The season tips off on national TV against last season’s No. 1 seed. A rematch of the East’s top two.
- October 23 — vs New York Knicks (home opener, TD Garden): The defending NBA champions come to Boston. Atlantic Division war, sold-out Garden, doesn’t get better.
- October 26 — vs Chicago Bulls (home): First look at the rebuilt Bulls and rookie Caleb Wilson.
- October 27 — vs Brooklyn Nets (home): Division matchup on the second night of a back-to-back — a depth test for the new roster.
- November 4 — vs Milwaukee Bucks (home): The post-Giannis Bucks visit; a measuring stick for where Boston stands in the new-look East.
Biggest Rivalries — The Wars
1. Los Angeles Lakers — THE eternal war. Twelve Finals meetings. Russell vs. Wilt, Bird vs. Magic, 2008 and 2010. The most storied rivalry in basketball, full stop.
2. Philadelphia 76ers — Fresh and vicious. They blew a 3-1 lead to them in the first round — then the Sixers took Jaylen Brown. Every Celtics-76ers game this season is a revenge game.
3. New York Knicks — The Atlantic war. The defending champs, the Garden vs. the Garden, and a visit to TD Garden on October 23.
4. Miami Heat — Playoff bloodbaths. Years of brutal series, and now the Heat have Giannis. The East runs through this rivalry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Celtics trade Jaylen Brown?
After blowing a 3-1 first-round lead to the 76ers and losing Game 7 at home, Boston sent the 2024 Finals MVP to Philadelphia for Paul George and four draft picks — the boldest move of the summer.
When the Celtics play the Knicks in 2026-27?
October 23 at TD Garden — the home opener against the defending champions, three days after the season tips off in Detroit.
Who are the best Celtics players right now?
Jayson Tatum (fully healthy after Achilles surgery), Derrick White and nine-time All-Star Paul George.
Is Jayson Tatum fully back this season?
Yes — 16+ months after Achilles surgery he returned in March for 16 games, came through a full camp getting "more explosive," and is now the undisputed leader of the franchise.
Show Your Colors
Heading to TD Garden or watching from home? True fans wear it. Gear up with quality fan sportswear — jerseys, tees and athletic wear built for real supporters:
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Sources & official links: Boston Celtics official site · Boston Celtics tickets
Bleed green — Banner 19 starts now.
