Kendrick Perkins says the Celtics should keep Tatum-Brown together, rethink the center spot, and boost athleticism as the league’s style shifts.
A playoff exit can turn even a successful season into a loud warning, and Kendrick Perkins’ take on the Celtics sounds like exactly that: the roster is close, but the middle and the athletic edge are missing.
Perkins told the Globe he does not believe the Celtics should break up the Jayson Tatum–Jaylen Brown pairing.. At the same time. he argued the team needs changes. especially at center. pointing to Neemias Queta as an example of the kind of problem the Celtics will have to solve if they want to contend again.. Perkins said he likes Queta but does not think he is a starter. and argued the Celtics should look for a center who can play at an All-Star caliber.
He framed the Celtics’ offseason decisions as an extension of a broader reality across the Eastern Conference: elite bigs can swing matchups. and the Celtics will have to match that talent level.. Perkins highlighted uncertainty around Joel Embiid’s future for the 76ers due to health. while also pointing to threats that include Karl-Anthony Towns. Jalen Duren. and Evan Mobley—players he said can cause problems and are capable of All-Star production.
Beyond personnel, Perkins said the Celtics also need to become more athletic.. He questioned who on the roster is the team’s best athlete. naming Brown and Jordan Walsh as candidates. but he anchored his argument in what he said became visible during the Philadelphia series: contenders need players who can win battles through speed and athleticism.
Perkins tied that athletic challenge to the wider contenders he sees emerging around the league.. He placed emphasis on the New York Knicks as an example of a team that belongs in the top tier. then listed additional threats from the Western Conference. including Minnesota. the Spurs. and Oklahoma City.. In his view. these teams have the kinds of players—especially wing defenders and mobility-focused “3-and-D” contributors—that can keep contenders from getting exposed.
His roster evaluation of the Celtics was blunt in one sense and specific in another.. Perkins suggested that if “a Giannis becomes available. ” or if Anthony Davis were to become available through circumstances he described as involving a change of teams. Boston would have to think hard about its current structure.. Still, he returned to the same core idea: the Jays should not be separated.
He also spoke directly about what he thinks should be protected in any potential reshaping.. Perkins said Tatum should not be involved in trade conversations, saying Tatum should retire with the Celtics.. He added that Brown should be untouchable as well. and argued that Payton Pritchard should be untouchable. too. while leaving the door open for other pieces to test the market.
That market-first framing connects to how Perkins described team leadership moving forward.. He praised Brad Stevens’ work since stepping in as president of basketball operations after Danny Ainge. and he referenced Stevens’ press conference remarks about being frustrated.. Perkins said Stevens understands what Boston’s history is ultimately about—championships—even after the Celtics produced one of the league’s most surprising regular seasons.
The Celtics’ starting point for this conversation, Perkins said, is that regular-season success was not matched by playoff outcomes.. He noted the franchise stepped back in both talent and salary last summer to avoid the first and second salary cap aprons. and while it paid off in the regular season—earning the East’s No.. 2 seed and winning 56 games—it did not prevent exposure in the playoffs.
Perkins also discussed Tatum’s recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon. saying the star missed the first 62 games and later returned playing at about “80 to 85 percent” of his usual self.. With five months before next season begins. Perkins said there is time to fully recover and to add elements to Tatum’s game. especially because he said Tatum looked most like a playmaking engine when the Celtics were at their best in 2024.
He argued for how Tatum’s role could evolve again coming into next season. saying he would like to see Tatum as the primary ballhandler.. In his view. coach Joe Mazzulla should challenge him to run that role forward. because Perkins said he can envision Tatum functioning in a style similar to how Cade Cunningham controls the ball in Detroit—even though Perkins believes Boston has not used that version of Tatum after the injury.
Perkins’ plan for the rest of the backcourt and offensive structure was to shift ballhandling away from Brown. moving Brown to the high post and elbow areas to create mismatches.. He described it as a specific adjustment that would force defensive recalibration and give the Celtics easier ways to generate offense.
At the same time. Perkins said the Celtics should treat next season as a “max out” opportunity for Tatum. framing Boston’s goal as building conditions in which Tatum can be positioned to win MVP.. He said Tatum has the capability to average production in the range of points. rebounds. and assists. and he linked that upside to giving Tatum the ball and the responsibility that playoff success seems to require.
Perkins also argued that the Celtics are no longer setting the standard for the league’s style of play.. In his view. once the championship window closes. the emphasis shifts to other dominant approaches—particularly Oklahoma City’s punishing style featuring midrange shots. free throws. and timely 3-point shooting.. He contrasted that with the idea that teams built around a different identity eventually have to respond or risk falling behind.
To illustrate how the league is changing. Perkins pointed to the Spurs’ roster construction. saying they have added multiple size-and-skill players such as big wings and guards.. He referenced names including Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. and also pointed to players around the league whose profiles fit the new emphasis on mobility and matchup control.
Perkins said Boston will have to find “easier points” as part of any successful recovery plan. and he traced that need to Brown’s game.. He referenced what he described as Brown’s comments about not getting certain calls. while also saying this season he saw Brown reach a career high in free throw attempts.
Perkins connected officiating and free-throw generation to strategy. describing a former Celtics teammate. Paul Pierce. as an example of a player who could consistently reach the stripe even when the jump shot was not falling.. The implication of Perkins’ argument is that if the Celtics start the season playing a style that draws pressure and contact. the benefits can carry through later stretches.
For Perkins, the end of the conversation is not about cosmetic tweaks. He said the Celtics are going to have to get uncomfortable, and that they should be willing to make moves to address the issues exposed in the postseason.
The other half of the Celtics reform conversation sits with Stevens and the organization’s staffing decisions.. The report described Stevens as candid about the Celtics’ weaknesses after their stunning first-round elimination by the 76ers. and it said he believes the team needs improvements before becoming a championship contender again.
While Stevens said he will stick with Joe Mazzulla as coach. the report indicated there could be changes to the coaching staff and the offensive philosophy.. Stevens was quoted as acknowledging how difficult the job is and as saying the Celtics struggled to get by. adding that the team needs to add to its roster and that resources should be provided for growth.. At the same time. the report highlighted the criticisms Mazzulla faced—especially regarding adjustments during the first six games and the late desperation move in Game 7.
The report also raised a sharper question about accountability and fresh ideas. arguing that the coaching staff may need an upgrade because the Celtics could benefit from more veteran presence.. It described Mazzulla as having a solid staff. but questioned whether young assistants can consistently keep him accountable or deliver new approaches strong enough to move the team forward.
There was also discussion of how the Celtics’ reliance on the 3-pointer fits the present moment.. Stevens was described as not stamping the team’s commitment to the long-range shot. but the report said the roster was built to shoot threes. and that the shooters struggled against Philadelphia. with White and Pritchard combining for a low total of made shots relative to attempts in that series.
The report broadened the concern by pointing to league trends: among the top 12 teams in 3-point attempts that season. only five reached the playoffs. and only two teams still playing were the Knicks and Cavaliers.. It also noted that Warriors. Hornets. and Trail Blazers attempted more threes than the Celtics during the regular season. while only Portland reached the playoffs.
Stevens’ view in the report was that play style cannot be placed above the roster.. He said winning matters first and that the Celtics should figure out who they have and then design both ends of the floor to amplify strengths.. He also referenced a philosophy in which the coaching staff did well in many areas. but the Philadelphia series is something the team needs to learn from.
In this framing, the Celtics’ offensive decline becomes part of the urgency. The report said the Celtics lacked an interior scoring threat, particularly from the frontcourt, which pushed the team toward jump shooting. That approach, the report said, did not work in the playoffs.
Stevens’ comments also suggested the organization is open to evaluating shot quality rather than clinging to a shot selection identity.. He described contested threes as potentially acceptable only when they fit within the best options available on a possession. and he emphasized that teams would always rather get dunks.
The report also said Stevens appears open to building for easier points that include free throws. noting that the Celtics ranked 30th in the league in free throw attempts.. He described how a 3-pointer after dunks and free throws or layups and free throws can be a good option. but stressed that each shot should be evaluated alongside other choices available during a possession.
While Celtics fans focus on next steps, the rest of the basketball news cycle carried other developments across the league. One standout was the Hornets, who rewarded former Celtics assistant Charles Lee with a contract extension after he led Charlotte to a play-in appearance.
The report said Charlotte’s improvement was substantial. describing a 25-game rise over the previous season and a youthful roster that earned the franchise renewed expectations after missing the playoffs since 2015-16.. It also noted that the Hornets announced former lottery pick Brandon Miller underwent surgery to stabilize his right shoulder. with Miller playing much of the season with a heavy wrap and dealing with injuries across his first three seasons.
Elsewhere, Orlando went through a coaching change after the Magic were eliminated from the playoffs following a blown 3-1 lead against the Pistons. The report said coach Jamahl Mosley was fired as the club looks to capitalize on the window for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
In Mosley’s defense, the report said the duo could not consistently be on the floor together because of injury.. It also noted Wagner missed the final three games of the Detroit series with a calf strain. while describing tension between Banchero and Mosley. including accusations from Banchero that the franchise had not taken the regular season seriously enough in recent years.. The report said Banchero’s production has leveled off. referencing a decline in his scoring and a 3-point percentage figure. and it argued that if Orlando wants to move forward. the new coach will need a way to get both Banchero and Wagner co-existing effectively while also pushing Banchero to develop a dependable midrange jumper.
The report’s coaching speculation pointed toward former University of Florida coach Billy Donovan as a top candidate. noting that he previously stepped away from the Bulls after a front office shakeup.. It also described his coaching path. including a brief prior tenure with the Magic 15 years ago before returning to Florida. and then his move to the NBA to take over the Thunder.
Another off-court development in the report involved John Wall, with potential steps toward having his No.. 2 retired in Washington.. The report said Wall has returned to his former NBA city to become general manager of the Howard University men’s basketball program. and that the Wizards announced he will represent them at Sunday’s critical NBA Draft lottery.. It also said Washington has strong odds to land the No.. 1 pick, expected to be Brockton native AJ Dybantsa, who has risen to the top of many draft boards.
Together. these moves show how the NBA is treating the postseason results not as an ending. but as a reset button.. For the Celtics. Perkins’ comments tie that reset to three themes: protect the core. fix the middle. and adjust the way Boston generates offense in a league that now rewards athleticism and efficient scoring pressure.. For the rest of the teams mentioned. the common thread is similar: roster and leadership decisions are being made with an eye on how quickly the next window opens—and how ruthlessly the league punishes teams that don’t adapt.
Kendrick Perkins Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum Jaylen Brown Neemias Queta Joe Mazzulla NBA offseason