NBA mailbag: Are the Celtics still a title contender? Which teams are flying under the radar?

After what has felt like the longest offseason in recent memory, the 2026-27 NBA season is right around the corner. In less than three weeks, all 30 teams will answer wide-ranging questions about their summer business and future expectations.

But why wait? Thanks to those of you who sent in inquiries of your own, let’s get to it.

Are the Celtics still an NBA title contender after losing Jaylen Brown? — @thomasnoble12

Yes, and more folks should be talking about this.

Do I think that the 56-win Celtics, after losing Brown to the rival 76ers, can replicate a similar model without one of the league’s top-15ish players? Probably not.

Am I signing up for Mazzulla ball with an older, wiser Paul George (40% outside shooter on nearly seven attempts per game) bringing an efficient blend of creation, spacing and defensive versatility, Mitchell Robinson’s possession-extending activity and Mike Conley’s veteran savvy — with a healthy Jayson Tatum? Absolutely. 

Patrick McDermott via Getty Images

What Boston can achieve this season is juxtaposed with the very loud and proud Knicks reign in the Eastern Conference, the sole reason why a plethora of contenders have beefed up over the past few months. But why shouldn’t the Celtics be considered among the favorites? Excellent coaching? Check. Heliocentric, healthy talent? Check. Reliable second fiddle that can create for others and himself? Check. Elite floor spacing? Check. Rim protection and offensive rebounding? Check.

Boston is good. Really, really good. 

What team/teams do you think are flying under the radar as the season approaches? — @qschneid14

I’ll simplify my choices here, but “under the radar” to me implies that Team X is actually better than the consensus or isn’t being discussed with the same breadth as their contemporaries. A few stick out:

Atlanta Hawks: CJ McCollum was shoehorned into a pseudo-lead ball-handler role he wasn’t necessarily equipped for (and got absolutely battered in the postseason). I appreciate the front office synthesizing their playmaking woes and bringing in underrated operators in Ryan Nembhard and Devin Carter, as well as drafting Houston’s Kingston Flemings. I’ve also long beaten the drum of teams siphoning off talent from perennial winning organizations, and acquiring both Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins from the Oklahoma City Thunder should pay immediate dividends at both ends of the floor.

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Los Angeles Clippers: The fallout from the Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration investigation is tremendous, embarrassing and unfortunate, so can you legally qualify as under the radar if the whole country is talking about you? Perhaps from an actual basketball perspective, where I have the Clippers projected to clear their 28.5 expected win total by some distance. I recently wrote about what their on-court product for 2026-27 could look like and believe there’s a path to productivity, albeit with underground expectations.

Utah Jazz: Losing Walker Kessler and his rim protection stings quite a bit, but Jaren Jackson Jr.’s frontcourt versatility paired with Lauri Markkanen’s floor spacing gives them an edge in a loaded Western Conference. The electric duo of Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George will make most of the headlines and League Pass rankings, but veteran wing Josh Okogie is the swing play here. He’s a top-50 defensive impact player, per DARKO, a decent enough shooter and runner to provide offensive value despite his shortcomings, and one of the harder workers you’ll see. 

How far do you have the Miami Heat going? — @sosaaa_behbie

Vegas is projecting the Heat to win 45.5 games, which sounds like a borderline play-in team. Ironically enough, I think Miami could get to 50 if it was in the opposite conference (what a time we’re living in), but anywhere from 46-48 games sounds like the sweet spot for this group.

I fully expect the Heat to finish the season as a top-five defensive unit. There is no better, more physical or versatile frontcourt pairing than Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. (We’re not even throwing the ever-eager Bobby Portis into the equation right now.) Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. should improve on the Heat’s low shooting volume (20th in 3-point rate, 12th in conversion) and spacing issues that may arise. 

Is that enough to seriously challenge in the East?

Miami has all the makings of a sixth, seventh or eighth seed you wouldn’t want to see in a seven-game series, but there are too many offensive questions raised to give the Heat much of a shot outside of a shocker first-round emergence. Is Davion Mitchell prepared for a spike in creation responsibility and scoring? Can Andrew Wiggins slot back into a diminished role with fewer touches and remain efficient? This is somewhat of a hastily put-together group tasked with contending immediately. I still think they’re a few pieces away. 

In your opinion, which team improved the most this offseason? — @MrEd315

The simple answer is Philly, right? You’d be hard-pressed to find an organization that fundamentally raised its chances of hoisting a Larry O’Brien more than the 76ers, who added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to the ranks, along with supporting cast members like Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

But I take it you didn’t come here for the simple answer. So, I’ll go with the Hornets. Let me explain.

To me, the team(s) that improved the most this offseason are the ones that established an identity in the previous campaign, retained some sort of flexibility and augmented how they play either offensively or defensively (or both in the perfect scenario).

In Charlotte, LaMelo Ball's departure was the natural landmark event, but with him went a great deal of rim pressure, perimeter creation, gravity and, by proxy, 3-point proficiency. (Miles Bridges also took a substantial amount of outside shots, but his waning efficiency won’t be missed as much.)Head coach Charles Lee has created an environment that relies on ball movement, relocation and a heavy perimeter onslaught (the Hornets finished second in 3-point attempt rate, third in conversion rate).

Lee’s approach is more egalitarian than heliocentric — which means more Coby White, less Ball — and he saw enough from the former’s 21-game sample size to warrant such a bold decision. White, like Ball, handled the ball a ton, but his efficiency clears his predecessor’s, his 85th-percentile assist rate suggests a bigger role, and the combination of volume and output paints a positive picture.

It’s even more obvious looking at the incoming names (Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Naz Reid) that Lee plans on keeping the Hornets — a team that finished 20th in passes made and 15th in assists — a 3-point juggernaut. He wants enough floor-spacers to keep defenses honest, understanding the gap in star quality between Ball and White (which affects how opposing defenses load up). Here’s what he now has at his disposal, according to NBA RAPM’s true shooting spacing metric, which incorporates shots taken via spot-up opportunities, handoffs and actions off screens: 

• Allen: 92nd percentile true shooting attempts, 80th percentile true shooting %
• O’Neale: 75th percentile true shooting attempts, 91st percentile true shooting %
• Reid: 97th percentile true shooting attempts, 68th percentile true shooting %

And here are the incumbents: 

• Brandon Miller: 93rd percentile, 75th percentile 
• Kon Knueppel: 87th percentile, 92nd percentile

The Hornets know how they want to play and went out to maximize that potential. (O’Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith, with a full season of recovery under his belt, should also aid in their defensive efforts.)  Add that to the trove of draft assets they picked up in the process — two first-rounders, three first-round swaps and six seconds — and it’s hard to argue against their body of work.