After trading away star forward Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and draft assets, one would be forgiven if you thought that the team might take a step back. With Celtics President of Basketball Operations President of Basketball Operations dealing away one of the best players in the NBA and his costar on the wing Jayson Tatum yet to play a full season injury-free or close to it in the wake of the Achilles tendon injury that had him sit for most of the 025-26 NBA regular season, there are a lot of unanswered questions swirling around the storied ball club.
But former Boston player and assistant coach Evan Turner let it be known he sees a successful season ahead of the team he once supported on the hardwood and on the sidelines
both. "I think one thing we forget … in this hoopla of a world of the NBA, it's kind of weird when you just show up and you just handle your business," said Turner on a recent episode of the "Open Floor" podcast. "So, in Boston, they're not really going out and being like, 'This is what we got, this is what we're doing'."
"They're just staying calm and working," he added. "So sometimes when those waters are calm, you kind of forget what's going on out there and what happens when those lights turn on. So I'm excited (…)."
"I don't want to be like, 'Oh, they're going to win 50 games for sure', but they're about to win 50," said Turner. "When I called Jayson, I talked to him. I'm like, 'Man, that looks a little crazy'. And I'm like, 'Who am I?' I forget who I'm talking to … I forget even just adding Mike Conley (…)."
"I'm going off just Jayson, the game being at Jayson's pace and him controlling it the way he always does. And bringing people along with them … I just think when you have those right type of mentality and mindset, Paul George is going to fall in line with whoever the leader is."
"I think Mike Conley is such a great silent leader, but somebody to have on the floor that's going to be extensive, especially in the field," he added.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: A Boston Celtics season with 50+ wins? Evan Turner thinks it is on the table
