5 Takeaways From Celtics Schedule Release

We're one step closer to the start of the 2025-26 NBA season. On Thursday, August 14, the NBA released the regular-season schedule for every team in the NBA.

We're one step closer to the start of the 2025-26 NBA season. On Thursday, August 14, the NBA released the regular-season schedule for every team in the NBA. Of course, the only schedule we really care about is the one for the Boston Celtics.

If you haven't seen the full schedule yet, the Celtics posted it on their Twitter account yesterday...

Some key notes

• The Celtics will play 13 back-to-backs this season
• While their back-to-backs are limited, travel is not...The Celtics will cover roughly 44,000 miles throughout the regular season.
• Boston gets a FULL WEEK off over the All-Star break
• No Celtics-Lakers during rivalry week...For some head-scratching reason
• For anyone hoping to see Jayson Tatum around the 65 game mark...Game 65 is bang smack in the middle of a three-game road swing, with the Celtics facing the San Antonio Spurs. If Tatum were to return (and I hope they sit him all season), it would likely come during game 62 vs. the Charlotte Hornets or game 67 vs. the Washington Wizards – as both opponents are on the "easier" side.
• I always earmark Jaylen Brown's games back in his hometown of Atlanta, as I like to see how he performs in front of friends and family...
• That same January 17 matchup vs the Hawks will be the first time Boston faces Kristaps Porzingis since he was traded, assuming he's healthy for the game.
• The first matchup against Jrue Holiday will come on December 28, assuming the Portland Trail Blazers don't redirect him beforehand.
• And the GUT WRENCHER...Marcus Smart's first trip to the TD Garden as part of the Los Angeles Lakers roster will be on December 5.

Now, on to the takeaways

1: A brutal start to the season

The Celtics face a gruelling eight-game stretch to open the season. They have:

• The Philadelphia 76ers twice – including on opening night
• New York Knicks
• Detroit Pistons
• New Orleans Pelicans
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• And the Houston Rockets

Out of those teams, only the Sixers and Pelicans didn't make the playoffs last season. The issue is, the Sixers are a better team than they showed last season, and if healthy, should be a tough opponent (although, I don't expect them to be healthy, at least to begin the season).

While the Pelicans have made some moves this summer, they likely hope these moves will provide some balance to the rotation.

If we're being realistic, perhaps with a side order of pessimism, there's a good chance the Celtics could start the 2025-26 season with a 3-5 record. I would hope they can beat the Sixers on both occasions – assuming no Joel Embiid and Paul George – and then overcome the Pelicans. But outside of that, wins will be tough to come by.

Not the easiest of starts by any stretch, but we'll learn a lot about the team and the mindset we can expect from them for the rest of the season.

2: A season-defining stretch

I've earmarked December 26 (which here in the UK, we call Boxing Day, don't ask me why) to January 26, as what could be a season-defining stretch for the Celtics.

During that one-month period, Boston embarks on a five-game road swing against the Indiana Pacers, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings and LA Clippers.

Interestingly, there's little rest after the team lands back in Boston, as they face the Clippers on January 3 and then are at the TD Garden against the Chicago Bulls on January 5. That game against Billy Donovan's team starts a five-game home stand before the team embarks on a four-game trip around the Eastern Conference.

In total, the Celtics will play 17 games during the Dec. 26 - Jan. 26 stretch, with two road trips sandwiched in for good measure. This will also be around the time we start to see Mazzulla cement his lineups, after what will likely be a few months of experimenting with rotations, substitution patterns and lineup combinations.

We should have a really strong idea about what Mazzulla's core rotation is going to look like, what type of team they're trying to be, and whether they have a shot at making the postseason (or making noise in the postseason) by the time this stretch comes to an end.

There's a lot to learn in this one-month run...

3: A perfect run to boost Anfernee Simons' trade value

Last season, as the trade deadline began to draw closer, we saw Jaden Springer earn a bigger role within Mazzulla's rotation. And while Springer had some impressive performances, it was clear Boston had a clear motive: boost his trade value before exploring his market.

So, it makes sense that we could see the Celtics do the same with Anfernee Simons, too. Fortunately for Boston, there's a good stretch of games where they could increase his usage rate to showcase his scoring ability. That stretch would start on Jan. 30 against the Sacramento Kings, and follow that with the Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, with the game against Ime Udoka's team coming 24 or 48 hours before the trade deadline, depending on when it falls.

If Simons can have some strong showings against a trio of playoff teams, two of which see themselves as contenders, while also putting up numbers against the Kings, his value could certainly take a leap. Then, it would be up to Brad Stevens to try to leverage Simons' skill set and expiring deal into some viable assets (player and/or draft).

I am, however, making that all sound far easier than it really is.

4: The usual, and brutal, West Coast swing

It's inevitable that at least once in a season, the Celtics will face a treacherous road stretch. This season, that will come in the form of a four-game stretch out on the West Coast between Feb. 19 and Feb. 25. During that run, Boston will play the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.

In recent years, I've used this tough road swing to gauge how close the Celtics are to reaching their peak in terms of production and postseason preparations. The hope is usually that they at least split those games.

Not this season, though.

Again, if we take a realistic approach, with a nice side of pessimism, Boston could be back on a flight home with a 0-4 record from this trip. All four opponents are likely to be playoff teams, and three of them (sorry, Phoenix) are potential championship contenders. That's a tough run for a Celtics team that is lacking in depth and high-end rotation talent.

Nevertheless, I would very much like a win against the Lakers at the Crypto.com arena...If Mazzulla's team can pull that off, the rest of that road trip won't hold much emotional weight, at least for me.

5: The Depth Test Windows

I have three depth-test windows circled on the new schedule. What I mean by this is long stretches of games with minimal rest and/or a high level of competition, where Mazzulla may benefit by going deeper into his bench rotation at times.

The first and most arduous window comes during a 17-game in 24 days stretch between Dec. 19 and Jan. 12. The window opens with back-to-back games against the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors. There's also a tough five-game road swing, and limited rest days despite a significant amount of travel. This stretch is particularly brutal because it hits right when the season's physical toll starts mounting, and an injury to a key rotation player could quickly spiral into disaster.

The second window comes in March, when the Celtics have six games in 12 days, against the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies. This window will take place between March 10 to March 22. By this point in the season, legs are typically at their heaviest, which could make the deep bench look rather tantalizing to the coaching staff.

My third and final window comes between April 1 and April 12, as the Celtics end their season with six games in twelve days, four of them being on the road. And considering that it will be the final run, it's fair to assume some tired legs and multiple guys taking rest days, especially if Boston finds itself in a play-in tournament scenario.

During these stretches, I'll be keeping a close eye on rotation minutes, substitution patterns and how willing Mazzulla is to trust his deep bench.

If you want a more comprehensive breakdown of the Celtics Schedule...

Billy Calabrese and I went live yesterday, almost immediately after the schedule was released. We did 45 minutes, looking at potential narratives, defining stretches, key dates and more.

That's all for today!

Let me know your thoughts on the schedule in the comments...