This is a year of opportunity with the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics still want to put together a strong season, but things will be different without Jayson Tatum on the floor. And that creates chances for players who otherwise may not get them.
That's especially true for players like Josh Minott. He just spent the early stages of his NBA career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he learned how tough it can be for a young player to break into an established rotation on a contending team.
In a normal Boston season, that might be the same case here. But this isn't going to be normal for the Celtics.
And that means this is Minott's chance to make his mark.
"I was high on Minott coming out of Memphis, but he’s spent the last three years marooned at the end of the Minnesota bench while a deep, veteran team chased the top seeds in the West," writes The Athletic's John Hollinger. "With a move to Boston, that will not be the case. The one player definitely ahead of him on the depth chart at power forward (Sam Hauser) might end up being traded at some point to get the Celtics under the luxury tax, and the overall depth situation virtually requires Minott to play if he can demonstrate any rotation-level ability at all."
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Minott is still only 22, and that aligns with why he's such an exciting possibility for the Celtics.
Yes, Boston will play to reach its potential this season. But that ceiling is simply lower without Tatum.
In years ahead, assuming Tatum returns to full health, the ceiling will be much higher. And that's when Celtics fans will look back and realize which members of their rotation benefited so much from Tatum missing the 2025-26 season.
Minott has the potential to be that guy. Nothing is a given, and he has a lot to prove. But he's going to get a chance, and if the Celtics are lucky, he'll seize the opportunity.
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