The Boston Celtics play basketball tonight, as we head into a season of the great unknown. For the first time in a long time, we head into a Celtics season with a lot more questions than answers.

It's incredible how drastically things can change in the world of sports. The Boston Celtics were on top of the basketball world heading into last season, but the expectations are nearly non-existent heading into the 2025-26 campaign. That tends to happen when a team loses its superstar player, and the Celtics will very likely be without Jayson Tatum for the upcoming season. 

Tatum's Achilles injury ushered in massive changes to the Celtics, with veterans Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis jettisoned to get under the second apron. Big men Al Horford and Luke Kornet departed via free agency, and Boston will return just two starters from last season in Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. In total, there are eight new players on the Boston roster.

While acquiring Porzingis and Holiday got the Celtics over the championship hump two years ago, this summer's additions were bargain bin finds. That's no knock on Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, and Josh Minott, but we're just being realistic.

Wins will likely be hard to come by early in the campaign. The hope is the Celtics will build some cohesion throughout the season and become a spunky, tough team to play -- one that could possibly make some noise in the playoffs. And if by some chance Tatum is cleared to return, the C's will be getting an All-NBA talent (albeit a rusty one coming off a major injury) back for a postseason run.

But maybe, just maybe, the Celtics surprise us all and are actually pretty good. The East is no powerhouse, Brown and White could carry the team, and the supporting case of Payton Pritchard and Simons could put up a bunch of points. Rebounding is going to be a major concern for head coach Joe Mazzulla throughout the season, but we'll see if that's something Brad Stevens can address down the road.

It's best to temper expectations for the upcoming season and enjoy a stress-free season. Maybe by season's end, we'll all be pleasantly surprised.

But  the bottom line is the Celtics play basketball on Wednesday night. Here are the storylines we'll be following throughout what will be a different -- but still interesting -- season of Boston basketball.

Alpha Jaylen Brown

Without Tatum, this is Brown's Celtics team for the upcoming season. He's been an incredible 1B with Tatum, but now Brown will get a chance to show what he can do as Boston's alpha.

Brown's looks are going to shoot up with Tatum out of the lineup, and a career year is likely incoming. In games without Tatum in the Boston lineup, Brown averaged 26.8 points per game over the last two seasons. Expect him to flirt with 28 points per game throughout the upcoming campaign, though putting the ball in the hoop isn't all that's on Brown's mind this year.

If Brown ups his scoring and becomes an even better playmaker (after averaging a career-high 4.5 assists last season), he'll be back in the mix for All-NBA honors. But what he really wants is some defensive recognition with an All-Defensive nod for the first time in his career.  

If he carries the scoring load,  and also makes and All-Defensive team, Brown should be a lock to get All-NBA honors for the second time in his career.

Derrick White the All-Star

Not everything will be on Brown's shoulders this season. Pritchard will see an uptick in shots and usage whether he comes off the bench or gets thrown into the starting lineup. Sam Hauser will have to take on more shots and defensive responsibility, and Neemias Queta will be the team's starting center whether he's ready or not.

But who will be Brown's Jaylen Brown this year? None other than Derrick White.

White has become quite the star since arriving in Boston in 2022. He does it all for Boston, whether the team needs him to hit a clutch three, lock someone down in the backcourt, or reject some shots. He truly does it all for the Celtics, and the fanbase loves him for it.

Now he'll have more on his plate, giving White a great chance to make his first-ever All-Star team. Celtics fans made a full-court press to get White some All-Star love over the last two seasons, but the push came up short. With Tatum out of the mix this season, White could join Brown at the festivities in Los Angeles

White should easily top his career-highs of 16.4 points and 5.2 assists this season. He's already locked in, as White averaged 21.7 points, 7.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and a ridiculous 3.0 blocks per contest over his three preseason games. White is going to get a ton of usage this season, and should take his game to new heights.

And if he doesn't get All-Star honors yet again, White will be looking to make another All-Defensive team after he missed out on making one in back-to-back season.

Accolades aside, we're going to see a lot of Derrick White in the upcoming season. 

Joe Mazzulla's toughest challenge yet

The team is missing its top scorer and do-it-all superstar. It lost key defensive pieces in Holiday, Horford, and Porzingis. Mazzulla had a tough task in taking over after the Ime Udoka saga, but this year will be his first without a star-studded lineup.

The Celtics cannot simply rely on talent to win games this year. They're going to have to outhustle, outmuscle, and out-defend their opposition. Players know this so it shouldn't require too much motivation from Mazzulla, but "Jiu Jitsu Joe" is going to have to make at least a few appearances. We got a glimpse of it in the preseason when he benched players for missing rebounds and not boxing out.

Mazzulla is going to have to coach his behind off all season. His solution in camp and the preseason has been to really up the pace and use the team's athleticism -- and of course, their shooting -- to put pressure on opposing defenses. His biggest challenge will be figuring out how to win, or at least be competitive in, the rebounding battle each night. 

Mazzulla hasn't announced a starting five for Wednesday night yet, and has said he could start 82 differing starting lineups throughout the season. He'll be unpredictable as always, outside of one thing: The Celtics are still going to shoot a ton of threes. 

How will the Celtics newcomers fit?

Simons was the biggest name added to the mix over the offseason, after he came over in the Holiday trade. He's a gifted scorer with a nice stroke and a step-back he learned from Damian Lillard, but has massive deficiencies on the defensive end. Simons is also in a contract year, so he's going to really want to ball out for Boston. We'll see of Mazzulla can get him to up his game on defense, or if Simons will settle in as a volume scorer.

Whether or not Simons starts or comes off the bench remains unknown. Simons could slide into the starting rotation if Mazzulla wants to keep Pritchard in his Sixth Man role, or he could become a dangerous bench guy if Pritchard slots into the starting five. If Simons comes off the pine -- and stays in Boston for the full season -- he should be in the Sixth Man running come season's end.

The other newcomers are Boucher, Josh Minott, and Luka Garza (via free agency) and Hugo Gonzalez through the draft.

Boucher is a savvy veteran with nine years of NBA experience and a ring from his time with Toronto. Minott is a hard worker, nicknamed "The Lawn Mower" for his incredible motor and energy off the bench. Garza is Boston's best bet to fill the Kornet void.

There is a lot of hype around the 19-year-old Gonzalez, another guy with an incredible motor who brings tenacity to the floor. He's extremely raw, but this season will be an opportunity to get the rookie a lot of on-the-job training in Boston. 

Who is going to rebound for the Celtics?

Tatum was the team's leading rebounder last season, and we know his status. With Porzingis, Horford, and Kornet gone, the Celtics are now relying on Queta, Garza, and Boucher to play massive roles in the frontcourt. We'll see how that works out for them, but the Celtics are going to be on the losing end of the rebound battle most nights.

Keeping the rebounding battle respectable will be the difference between close games and blowouts.

NBA Cup champs???

Listen, is the in-season NBA Cup overblown and silly? Absolutely. Does it really mean anything other than some extra cash for the winners? Not really.

But with a deep playoff run likely out of the equation for the Celtics this year, let's see them really go for that silly NBA Cup title. Boston is in a group with the Magic and the Pistons -- two of the better teams in the East -- along with the Nets and the 76ers.

Trader Brad

The season could go a few ways for Brad Stevens. If the Celtics play well above expectations, he could potentially be a buyer ahead of the deadline and look to add a controllable big man, especially if signs point toward a Tatum return.

But if the team struggles out of the gate and can't find its footing, Stevens would have to give strong consideration toward trading guys like Simons and Boucher to contenders to shed more salary (potentially getting under the first apron in the process) and stockpile future assets. 

Stevens will eventually have to pick a lane, so we'll see which avenue the C's president of basketball ops. chooses in the next few months.

Will Celtics be competitive in the East?

Boston's projected win total has them finishing slightly above, around, or just below .500. Even without Tatum and all the change to the roster, that seems a little low in a somewhat weak Eastern Conference.

The Celtics likely aren't going to flirt with 50 wins, but it won't be too hard for them to finish a few games over .500. They're going to win some games they shouldn't and lose some games they should have won.

While the Knicks are the favorites of the conference, and the Cavaliers, Magic, and Bucks have loads of potential, the East is no powerhouse. The Celtics should be able to flirt with the No. 6 seed, though they'll likely figure into the play-in picture when the playoffs arrive.

The only way the Celtics finish with a sub-.500 record is if things go off the rails early and Brad Stevens opts to trim even more salary throughout the year. 

Jayson Tatum's return???

Tatum certainly sounds like a guy who wants to play this season, and he seems determined to do so. Whether or not he'll be cleared is another topic.

But Tatum's return is going to be in the back of the minds of Celtics fans as the season progresses. The anticipation will only grow with every video of the All-NBAer dunking and putting up shots on the practice court. Given Tatum's work ethic and commitment to getting back as soon as physically possible, there's a real chance he could return in the later months of the season.

Should he? The jury is out on that front. Getting a full year-plus to recover from his ruptured Achilles would be ideal. But if Tatum does the work to get clearance during the upcoming season, nothing is going to stop him from taking the court for the Celtics.

And imagine how incredible of a scene it would be if Tatum returns in March or April for a late-season playoff push. If that happens, the Celtics will be a team no one wants to play in the postseason.

It's not something anyone should expect to happen, but it's not something we can completely rule out either.