Don't Panic. This Celtics Team Still Has Firepower Without Tatum/BigAl/KP and JH

[BringToughnessBack]

A lot of fans are acting like the sky is falling. Tatum out for the full 2025-26 season. Porzingis, Holiday, and Horford gone. But if you look at the numbers, the story isn't collapse. It's opportunity.

Let's break it down with facts, not fear.

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📉 What We Lost

We're missing about 51 shots per game from last year:
      Tatum: 20.3 shots
      Porzingis: 13.7
      Holiday: 9.2
      Horford: 7.7

That's 50.9 shots per game gone. That's huge. But those shots don't disappear. They get reallocated. And who's left to take them might surprise you.

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🔥 Four Players Who Can Soar

Payton Pritchard

2025: 14.3 points on just 10.8 shots.
Shot 47.2 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from three.

If he doubles his shots to 20.8 and plays 36+ minutes, that could translate to 27.5 points per game at the same efficiency. That's real star potential. He's entering his prime at 28 and finally has the green light. This could be his biggest breakout year yet.

Jaylen Brown

22.2 points on 17.7 shots last year. If he takes 5 to 7 more shots per game, he could be in the 26 to 31 point range. This is his moment to be the lead guy.

Derrick White

16.4 points on 12.6 shots per game. Add 5 to 10 more shots and he's in the 22 to 26 point range. Still our best defender, but now with a chance to be a high-volume scorer too.

Anfernee Simons

A quiet addition with big upside. He averaged 19.3 points on 15.5 shots. Bump that to 20 shots and he can give us 22 to 25 a night.

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📊 Where the Shots Go

We've already accounted for about 38 to 41 of the 51 shots left behind. The rest will be picked up by bench guys, new talent, and system adjustments. We're still deep, still dangerous, and still hungry.

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💚 Bigger Than One Season

Losing Tatum hurts, no doubt. But what if this year accelerates growth across the board? What if we come out of this with three or four guys averaging over 20 points and ready to compete on another level?

When Tatum returns, we'll be deeper, tougher, and more battle-tested.

⸻

🍀 Final Word

This team isn't folding. It's evolving. Pritchard has a real shot to become a star. Brown can rise into a true number one. White and Simons can both stretch into 20-plus scorers. We're going to see the full potential of this roster.

And when Tatum comes back next year?

We might just be unstoppable.

#LetTheKidsCook #InBradWeTrust #PritchardSeason

[OnPoint]

My man, if you?re going to have ChatGPT write your post, at least get the year right.

[Goldstar88]

I noticed how you didn?t mention defense. At all.   

[BringToughnessBack]

My man, if you?re going to have ChatGPT write your post, at least get the year right.

Been a long day! I forgot the year! LOL. and it did not write my passage, but it did help me edit what I had come up with.

[BringToughnessBack]

I noticed how you didn?t mention defense. At all.   

This was tied to the offense. Defense is a whole other can of worms!

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

💚 Bigger Than One Season

Losing Tatum hurts, no doubt. But what if this year accelerates growth across the board? What if we come out of this with three or four guys averaging over 20 points and ready to compete on another level?

How about this: What if we do get four guys averaging 20+, then, after Tatum returns and starts taking his usual amount of shots, the other guys become disgruntled for getting significantly fewer shots than they did while Tatum was out?

[Ilikesports17]

💚 Bigger Than One Season

Losing Tatum hurts, no doubt. But what if this year accelerates growth across the board? What if we come out of this with three or four guys averaging over 20 points and ready to compete on another level?

How about this: What if we do get four guys averaging 20+, then, after Tatum returns and starts taking his usual amount of shots, the other guys become disgruntled for getting significantly fewer shots than they did while Tatum was out?

Sure. Let Simons walk. If Pritchard goes out and averages 27 (not going to happen) then you trade him too.

[radiohead]

I have a feeling this year?s Celtics will compete and play hard every game. This will be similar to those ?Bad News Bears? team with IT. We had guys like ET, Jerebko, Crowder all playing hard and contributing to winning basketball.

[Neurotic Guy]

Maybe a little reminiscent of the 1969-70 Celtics, Russell's first year of retirement.  The team relied on Hank Finkel for 20+minutes at center and the roster sported a young Don Chaney and JoJo White along with veterans Havlicek, Sanders, Nelson, and Seigfried.   A lineup not terribly different from what the C's have at this moment in time (without Tatum).  They won 38 games, got the 4th pick in the draft, and landed Dave Cowens.   
I do think there is offensive firepower on this team - maybe enough to win about half their games.  But they'll need a surprise to be any better than that.  It's unrealistic but I do have a dream that Q somehow takes an unexpected leap.  I do think he's an NBA player ultimately, but to be a decent starter - that would change things a ton.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

For some reason, the player I'm having unreasonably high hopes for is Williams from Kentucky. I like him and think he is an NBA player, and probably no amount of mistakes are going to convince me otherwise this year. Will need to reevaluate next off-season.

[Surferdad]

For some reason, the player I'm having unreasonably high hopes for is Williams from Kentucky. I like him and think he is an NBA player, and probably no amount of mistakes are going to convince me otherwise this year. Will need to reevaluate next off-season.

Me too, and I am plastering my hopes for Williams on various social media platforms. I need something to give me optimism about the coming year and the center position is an area of great need. Nobody else we traded for, signed, drafted or had on the deep bench gives me much optimism.

[Yuckabuck33]

Why do people keep saying that Horford is gone? I haven't seen anywhere where he has said that he won't return or that he has signed somewhere else. All I've seen is the talking heads who need content to keep their 15 minutes of fame going talking about what 6 teams want him.But if I post a list of what 6 women want me, that doesn't mean I'm leaving my lady.

[Kuberski33]

Why do people keep saying that Horford is gone? I haven't seen anywhere where he has said that he won't return or that he has signed somewhere else. All I've seen is the talking heads who need content to keep their 15 minutes of fame going talking about what 6 teams want him.But if I post a list of what 6 women want me, that doesn't mean I'm leaving my lady.

I'm not shutting the door on this. Bring Al back with a cheap young guy with potential behind him (Minott) and the 4 suddenly isn't so dire. Al may be willing to take a discount to stay given where his family is at and I think they can still shift some assets around to create room.

[Goldstar88]

Why do people keep saying that Horford is gone? I haven't seen anywhere where he has said that he won't return or that he has signed somewhere else. All I've seen is the talking heads who need content to keep their 15 minutes of fame going talking about what 6 teams want him.But if I post a list of what 6 women want me, that doesn't mean I'm leaving my lady.

I mean, if he wants to play meaningful basketball next year he?s going to have to go elsewhere.

[Celtics4ever]

I will watch the team regardless of whether they are good or bad.