NBA season 2025-26 Preview: What now for Pacer, Celtics?
It was difficult to look at. First Boston’s Jayson Tatum, then, on the largest stage of the NBA, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton.
The last two champions of the Eastern Conference head this season without their all-nba stars and the anchors of the offense of their team. Tatum torn his Achilles in the second round against the Knicks and Haliburton famous his Achilles at the beginning of the game 7 of the NBA finals. Both should lose this season (Although Tatum is leaving the door open to a return of the end of the season).
In the wake of those absences, the Preseason attention was on the East which is “wide open”, with discussions on those who can enter the void. But what about Indiana and Boston this season? Can it be more than a sabbatical year for them? Let’s break down.
Boston Celtics
Changes were coming to the Celtics roster before Tatum took a wrong step against the Knicks. The feared according to an apron and the tax on the repeater were already coming for them, but the injury has opened the doors for management to be aggressive in the salary of the cut: Jrue Holiday is in Portland, Kristaps Porzingis is in Atlanta, at the Horford is in Golden State and Luke Kornet is in San Antonio. The result is that the Celtics payroll is less than $ 200 million (but still about $ 4 million compared to the first luxury tax apron).
Boston still has a lot of talent: the MVP and All-Star finals Jaylen Brown will become the snake’s head in attack and still have Derrick White and Payton Pripchard. White, in particular, will play a much bigger role and will be asked to do more than at any time because it was Mr. everything for the Colorado Buffalo. It will have many of the Pick-and-Roll opportunities that Tatum has usually absorbed.
The difficult questions are in the frontcourt, in which the appetizers are likely to be Sam Hauser and NeemiaS Queta (who had a great Eurobasket), with Chris Boucher behind them.
Joe Mazzulla will have these Celtics who play faster and will still launch a historical amount of 3 episodes, and this will win them. This is not a bad team – Vegas projects a team around .500 – but not a contender. Certainly a step back from where Boston was, as you should expect.
The spin outside Boston will be that this is a year for players to grow and evolve in new roles, and then, when Tatum returns – both late this season and later, they will be better for the experience. It is a nice point of discussion, but the guys who get experience are role -players, not stars. The new owner Bill Chisholm said he would do what he is neededSpend what you need to win this team. That test starts next summer when Boston needs to supply the roster to contend.
For now, Boston looks like a game team in the East.
Indiana Pacers
Not only is Haliburton out for the season, but the property has decided to try to ensure that Myles Turner takes a discount on his next agreement, and is now in Milwaukee. They are two of the first three players, including the critical engine that made the Pacer’s up-time style work in Haliburton-for the season.
Anyone who has seen the pacer in their limited time without Haliburton last season grabs what is coming: good players, well trained, but not defensively defensively and without the offensive spark necessary to constantly win in the NBA.
Pascal Siakam becomes the focal point of the offense and should put numbers. It is surrounded by boys who have been a good role players a season ago, but will be asked to do much more now: Andrew Nembhard at the point, BennDict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell, Ben Sheppard, Obi Toppin, Jay Huff and others
Some guys will come forward and if you told me that Nembhard won the most improved player, I would not be shocked (it seemed as good as the guard of the backup point last season). However, it is a lot to ask for the whole line. It looks more like a team that struggles to make the back-end of the play-in-even in this east of a night threat.
In a year, when Haliburton returns, the show returns and things become interesting. For now, it is a season on growth for role players.