After watching the Celtics fall to 0-3 on the season, I tweeted what I thought was a straightforward and fairly innocuous post Sunday evening.
“It’s not time to panic, but it is time to officially be concerned
about the Celtics.”
Pretty tame, right? Not quite. The responses were civil (a rarity on X these days), but they weren’t what I expected.
“It is a tank and regroup szn.”
“If they were 3-0 it would be time to panic.”
“Why would we be concerned? This is great for the Celtics.”
Interesting. So, as any self-respecting sportswriter would do, I investigated the matter further.
I tweeted out a poll late Sunday night:
“Which would you rather for the Celtics this season?”
A) Good vibes, fun, 6-seed
B) Bad team, basically tank
Surely, these hooligans were outliers and your classic Twitter trolls. Surely, Celtics fans aren’t giving up on this season in October. Surely, the season isn’t over before it began.
But alas, 65 percent of the voters so far said they would prefer that the Celtics stink it up and tank. I’ll be honest, that number really surprised me. I expected it to be about 65 percent in favor of a good-vibes season.
Do you not like good vibes? Do you not enjoy watching winning basketball? Do you truly want the Celtics to tank? Seriously? In this economy?
Let me start by saying there is some logic to that approach. This draft class is arguably the most loaded ever at the top, with AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Darryn Peterson (Kansas) and Cameron Boozer (Duke) all seemingly worthy of the No. 1 pick. Pair one of those guys with a healthy Jayson Tatum next year and you’ve got something sustainable.
There are times where it all works out (see: Victor Wembanyama), and there are times when it doesn’t (see: Markelle Fultz – sorry, Markelle). It’s a calculated risk, but I personally don’t think it’s worth the gamble.
It’s one thing if you have a truly horrific roster. If you’re young, have a few promising prospects and need another one, tanking makes sense. I’m sure Adam Silver would tear his hair out if he had any, but it’s a sound and undeniably reasonable approach.
The 2025-26 Boston Celtics are factually not in that same position. Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman have all won a championship in Boston. Anfernee Simons and Chris Boucher are talented veterans eager to contribute. Josh Minott and Hugo Gonzalez are promising players hoping to prove themselves.
Do you really think Brown is going to sit idly and watch the Celtics unravel entirely, finish the season 25-57 and cross their fingers that they land Dybantsa? Think again. White and Pritchard are ferocious competitors. They’re not going to waste an entire year of their lives on a terrible team. Joe Mazzulla isn’t wired to let up (see: media game).
These three games weren’t promising as a whole, but the Celtics showed potential in stretches. Rebounding and transition defense are legitimate flaws, but this roster is built to play fast and freely. Once the Celtics lean into that identity fully, and figure out who they are, the wins will come organically.
Now, just to be clear…If the Celtics start, say, 10-20, and find themselves in last place around the holidays, that’s a different conversation. If Brown has to miss an extended period of time, that’s a different conversation. If a few months from now, it’s clear this team just doesn’t have the it factor, that’s a different conversation.
But for now, as of Monday, Oct. 27, it’s way too early to think about tanking. Enjoy this season for what it is. Watch this team grow and mature. Remember the Isaiah Thomas years and allow yourself to embrace the role of a plucky underdog again.
It may not go as planned, and you have my permission to say you told me so. For now, I’m sticking with it.
It’s not time to panic. Not yet, anyway.
