The Boston Celtics are anticipated to have a weird 2025-26 season with out their celebrity, Jayson Tatum. It’s time for Jaylen Brown to step up, however Celtics icon Bob Cousy feels Brown isn’t sufficient.
Jayson Tatum is the Boston Celtics‘ greatest star, as evidenced by his 4 All-NBA First Workforce nods. Regardless of his ascent to superstardom, most individuals see him as a part of a duo with Jaylen Brown. The latter remains to be a incredible participant, confirmed by his Finals MVP and Japanese Convention Finals MVP in 2024.
Regardless of this success, folks nonetheless overlook Brown for his achievements with the Celtics. He’s a professional star who can carry the crew when wanted. With Tatum out for an prolonged interval on account of an Achilles damage, Brown is in cost because the crew’s star.
Bob Cousy, one of many Celtics’ all-time greats, doesn’t assume Brown has what it takes to be a celebrity.
As a participant who received six championships with the Celtics, Cousy is aware of what it takes to win. For the long-lasting level guard, he believes Boston received’t win a title with out Tatum. That could be a legitimate opinion, contemplating Tatum has been the crew’s greatest participant over time.
Nevertheless, Cousy feels the crew isn’t in the very best place, particularly with Brown because the lone star. He respects the 2024 Finals MVP, however Cousy doesn’t see him carrying the Celtics within the 2025-26 season. Tatum has completed so, which has led some to imagine Brown can’t do the identical.
“In my judgment, Jaylen isn’t fairly on the celebrity stage that Tatum is at. Can he carry the load by himself? I see a serious rebuilding effort right here. Jaylen definitely received’t convey them to the promised land,” Cousy mentioned to the Boston Globe.
“Derrick White’s participant and he’ll produce and he’ll be constant, however his sport doesn’t lend itself to carrying a crew.”
The Celtics will play a bizarre 2025-26 season as they compete within the Japanese Convention. Though it isn’t as stacked because the Western Convention, the Celtics can nonetheless make an impression. They don’t seem to be favorites, however Brown and Derrick White are prepared to guide the crew regardless of all of the critics.
Other than his criticism of Brown, Cousy additionally took a shot on the Celtics group. He feels they aren’t in the appropriate place, particularly with their mentality. The Celtics misplaced to the Knicks within the 2024 Playoffs. New York didn’t have the very best crew, which Cousy made positive to debate.
Cousy felt that the Knicks weren’t the actual deal, so shedding to them was embarrassing. The Celtics legend voiced his frustration about how the crew approached that sequence.
“You must be there to have a way of what’s occurring, and I’m not. I get the impression that Mazzulla did job and had their consideration,” Cousy continued.
“However within the playoffs, in my expertise, the very best crew wins. There are upsets sometimes, however I’ve no understanding of how the Celtics might collapse, particularly towards the Knicks. Because the Knicks proved within the subsequent spherical, they weren’t a professional contender.”
Boston all the time has excessive requirements relating to its groups. Cousy has the identical lofty requirements, so he desires the crew to do nicely. Not having Tatum is important, as they don’t have their celebrity participant.
Some may really feel Brown might nonetheless lead the crew, however Cousy doesn’t see that. Expectations are low for the Celtics within the 2025-26 season, which might result in them shocking folks. This must be a motivator for Brown, as he desires folks to respect him.
