Why Kendrick Perkins dropped cold ‘hell no’ take on Celtics’ NBA title contention

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ESPN analyst and 2008 Boston Celtics champion center Kendrick Perkins didn’t hold back on his take about his former team’s chances of winning a title this season. Although Perkins predicted a big season for Payton Pritchard, he doesn’t believe it will translate into a championship run in 2026-27.

While some NBA analysts have high hopes for the Celtics, even without Jaylen Brown, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, the team’s championship center isn’t one of them. Perkins delivered his blunt stance, per ESPN’s First Take.

“The question is: are the Celtics contenders this season? And the answer is hell no,” Perkins said. “I don’t care about them winning regular season games; I don’t care about them winning the Atlantic Division. Are they legit title contenders? The answer is hell no. They don’t have the personnel. Jayson Tatum is on the clock.

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“When you talk about players that are under the most pressure, Jayson Tatum is one of those guys that’s under the most pressure because of what Jaylen Brown displayed, especially in the regular season carrying this team. When you think about the city of champions — the Boston Celtics — it’s just like the Los Angeles Lakers. Championships or bust.”

For ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, the Celtics, who finished with the second-best record last season, is still a playoff team this year, but will not be one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference.

“When you look at the Celtics and their roster, I believe they’re going to make the playoffs through the Play-In tournament to be honest with you,” Perkins added. “Let’s start this NBA season off right.”