Boston Celtics
“I think Jayson would be first in the East, and I think they would’ve made it out that game seven.”
Evan Turner, a former Celtics player and coach, is taking the side of Jayson Tatum as fallout from Boston’s season continues. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
It’s been less than a week since the Boston Celtics’ 2025-26 season came to a close after falling to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round with a brutal Game 7 loss.
Boston’s regular season was a resounding success. The team finished with the second seed in the Eastern Conference with Jaylen Brown at the helm before Jayson Tatum made his long-awaited debut in March after recovering from a torn Achilles. Players like Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh had breakout seasons, helping to prove that the team was still talented even without Tatum.
In what was widely expected to be a “gap year” for the Celtics, they achieved major success and found a way to the postseason with Tatum back at mostly full strength.
But that was the regular season. Things didn’t go as planned in the postseason.
Boston blew its first 3-1 playoff series lead in franchise history, and Philadelphia made its first-ever series comeback down from 3-1 to advance to the second round and face the New York Knicks.
Tatum did not play in Game 7 due to knee stiffness, forcing head coach Joe Mazzulla to get creative. He ran out a head-scratcher of a starting lineup, which ultimately came up short.
There has been no shortage of storylines following the disastrous end to the Celtics’ season, namely surrounding Brown. Tracy McGrady stirred the pot earlier this week when he said that Brown was “frustrated” with the organization, prompting Brown to clear the air on a Twitch stream.
Brown also called out ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on social media when the media personality suggested the player is trying to get traded away from Boston.
In the aftermath of their first-round exit, former Celtics player and assistant coach Evan Turner offered his opinion on the Brown vs. Tatum debate.
“I think what Jaylen did this year with that team, going second (in the East) and doing all this, that, and the third, and killing it, I believe Jaylen – that that speaks volumes,” Turner said on SiriusXM Radio’s “NBA Today”. “I think if Jayson – if it were the other way around – I think Jayson would be first in the East, and I think they would’ve made it out that Game 7.”
“If it were the other way around, I think [Jayson Tatum and the Celtics] would’ve been first in the East, and I think they would’ve made it out that game 7”@thekidet on how the Celtics would’ve looked with Jayson Tatum leading instead of Jaylen Brown@TermineRadio | @JumpShot8 pic.twitter.com/NKOFqbmnOP
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 8, 2026
Turner was an assistant coach for both Brown and Tatum in Boston in 2020-21.
Before the postseason began, Turner spoke with AthlonSports.com in March about Brown’s MVP chances. Turner praised Brown for stepping up in Tatum’s place and helping to make his teammates better.
“I think he’s the most valuable to his team, everything considered,” Turner said. “Because they weren’t supposed to be there. You know, he’s playing with a lot of first-year guys who are really getting minutes.”
“I think there has to be some realistic consideration in that sense because once again, it’s back to the top,” Turner added. “Guys are thriving and what else does that say?”
Brown and Tatum have been subject to a player versus player debate for years at this point, so on paper, this is nothing new. But with the Celtics’ championship window potentially fractured after how the first round went and what McGrady said of Brown, the debate feels like it could actually have legs.
Brown is under his supermax contract until after the 2028-29 season, when he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent. There are no substantial reports as of yet that Boston is interested in trading Brown, and the player has said on Twitch that he “loves Boston”, wants to play there for another decade, and that this past season was his “favorite” yet.
But, given how the season ended and Brown’s mentor and friend McGrady’s comments, the trail of smoke is too intriguing to ignore as Boston enters another important offseason.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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