As heartbreaking as it is to watch a team with legitimate championship aspirations fall in the first round to a rival, there is a silver lining for grieving Celtics fans.
With the extra few weeks, the Celtics can allocate even more time to an area that separates them from the bulk of other NBA teams: player development. OK, maybe it doesn’t remove the pain of the loss entirely, but hey, it’s something.
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As they turn the page – with the caveat that some of these players may head elsewhere – here’s one area of improvement for each member of the Celtics this offseason.
Jayson Tatum: full strength
I still find it truly remarkable how fluid, strong and polished Tatum looked given all that transpired. You really felt for the guy when he missed Game 7 and can’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had been out there.
Tatum should use this offseason to ensure he’s 100 percent good to go, feels like himself and is fully comfortable heading into next season. Give him all the credit in the world for responding the way he did, but that chapter of his career is in the past now, and it’s time to fortify the future.
Jaylen Brown: decision making
Brown improved in almost every area, both with the eye test and statistically, and proved he’s more than capable of being “the guy.”
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This is nitpicking, because he was so outstanding, but he needs to improve his decision making slightly for the Celtics to take the next step. Sometimes it felt like Brown made up his mind that he was going to shoot and would miss open teammates in the corner.
He averaged 3.6 turnovers per game, which was the fifth most in the NBA. When you account for the fact that Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Cade Cunningham are right above him, it doesn’t look so bad, but it’s still an area worth monitoring. Yes, he has the ball a lot, and yes, turnovers are going to happen, but he can still cut down on them slightly.
Derrick White: consistent shooting
White is one of the most likable Celtics ever, and he still contributes in so many ways when his shot is off, but it’s fair to say his shooting hurt the Celtics last season.
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He shot a career-low 39.4 percent from the field and saw his 3-point percentage plummet from 38.4 in 2024-25 to 32.7 last year. One interesting note: Those numbers increased to 47.8 and 42.4 in April. With Tatum back in the mix, White’s scoring numbers went down and his efficiency went up.
While aggressiveness is important, sometimes less is more for White. The most important part is to not overthink it and just play the game. Easier said than done. He’s unquestionably the biggest X-factor on the team with the way the roster is currently constructed.
Payton Pritchard: defensive versatility
The guy really needs to get better at end-of-quarter shooting. He missed one against the Sixers. Inexcusable. But seriously, Pritchard had an excellent season all around. While he has many admirable traits, for me, No. 1 is that he truly makes concrete improvements to his game every year.
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You want every player to do that, but the reality is that some do and some don’t. Pritchard legitimately gets better every year. This offseason, the point of emphasis should be defensive versatility. Pritchard is a solid defender, and he plays extremely hard, yet it still feels like teams pick on him in the paint sometimes.
Part of that is just the fact that he’s 6’1, and it is what it is, but there are ways to counteract it: avoid switching in the first place, beat your defender to the spot, gamble at the right moments to get steals. He’s not a liability on that end, however there is still room to grow.
Neemias Queta: mid-range jumper
Imagine it. Queta sets a screen at the top of the key, both defenders swarm toward ball-handler Tatum or Brown and the big rotates to clog the paint. Queta simply stops near the free-throw line, catches the over-the-shoulder pass and sticks a mid-range jumper.
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He can do it. He really can. No one is asking him to attempt five 3-pointers a game – not yet, anyway – but establishing himself as a legitimate threat to shoot would give the Celtics yet another option and make defenses scramble even more. The fact that Queta has improved so much in the past couple years means he’s capable of adding another trick to his steadily growing repertoire.
Sam Hauser: minimize cold spells
Give Hauser a lot of credit. The Celtics asked him to improve his defense and he did. They asked him to add playmaking to complement his shooting and he did. They asked him to shoot without a conscience and he did.
The next step is to ensure he doesn’t have cold spells throughout the season. It’s easier said than done (trust me, I know all too well), but Hauser is capable. For instance, he shot 27.5 percent from 3 in November, 45.1 percent in January, then 33 percent in March.
Shooting in the high-30s to low-40s consistently, rather than in spurts, goes a long way.
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Baylor Scheierman: continue to play with confidence
As a big-time Scheierman believer since his college days, it was very cool to see him come out of his shell and establish himself as a consistent NBA role player.
You could see something shift with him, where he started to realize he truly belonged just played, rather than thinking about how he was playing. The goal now is to do that for an entire season. He deserves to be out there, logging heavy minutes on a talented team, and he needs to continue to believe in himself and his abilities.
Nikola Vucevic: defensive intensity
Everything we thought we knew about Vucevic was true. Great teammate, great spacer, great veteran … not a great defender.
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That’s OK. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. That’s life, and I’m sure he’s worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to become less of a liability on that end. But, the unfortunate reality for both Vucevic and the Celtics is that he truly is a liability on that end. So, how do you compensate for that? With all-out hustle and intensity. That’s not to say he’s not hustling, because he is, but I think becoming a bit more of a maniac on that end would benefit him.
Dive for a loose ball, foul someone with conviction, pound your chest. See what happens.
Jordan Walsh: develop your bag and look to drive
I’ve written about this before, but Walsh has come a long way. He used to think “Should I shoot it? Should I shoot it?” Now, he just shoots it, and it’s been fun to watch his growth.
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The next step is to become more of a playmaker. Walsh is long, athletic, versatile and rangy. He’s capable of beating guys off the dribble. It would be fun to see him throw an upfake, accelerate to the rim, spin to his left hand and finish in traffic at the rim, for instance. He can do it.
Luka Garza: defend without fouling
I’m not sure there’s a player on the roster who maximizes each ounce of athleticism in his body more than Garza. Not to say he’s not athletic (he is), but relatively speaking, he’s someone who makes the most of each window he has. That’s an admirable trait.
With that in mind, anything here is trivial, but I would say defending without fouling would help Garza moving forward. He averaged 2.3 fouls per game in 16.2 minutes, which equals out to more than fouling out per 48. Slicing that number to, say, 1.5, would help significantly.
Hugo González: offensive crispness
Barring a surprising twist, González isn’t going anywhere and is a key part of the equation in the years to come. He’s already a menace defensively, and improving his offensive crispness would go a long way. He’s still a baby, so it will take some time, but that’s the next step.
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Ron Harper Jr.: make yourself indispensable
Harper Jr. is better than I thought he was. That kid is legit. Use the fuel you have of constantly hearing that about how great your brother and dad are and continue to prove you belong. Make it so the Celtics can’t put you in a trade package, and if they keep you, make it so they can’t take you off the floor.
Dalano Banton: showcase your versatility
Banton is a pretty unique player. Not many guys are that tall and find themselves playing point guard when they enter the game. Beat guys off the dribble, back them down, make the extra pass, block shots, get steals and run. Prove you can do it all.
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Amari Williams: fine-tune your post moves
Williams is long and athletic and he can disrupt bigs and get them out of a rhythm. I personally would have tried him against Joel Embiid for a few minutes to see what happened (no one else could guard him, so they had nothing to lose). He likely would have roasted him, but it would have been an interesting experiment. Williams is a promising player who should work on his post moves to earn a spot on the floor.
Max Shulga: 3-point shooting
In order to last in the league, Shulga has to prove he can consistently hit the 3-ball. While he’s a solid passer, and a smart player, shooting efficiently is imperative.
