The Boston Celtics' 2025-26 season has been a tale of two distinct chapters. For most of the year, they were the league's ultimate underdog story, thriving despite the absence of Jayson Tatum and the departure of other stars. Their gritty, overachieving play captured the imagination of fans everywhere.

But with Tatum's return from an Achilles injury in March, the narrative has completely flipped. The Cinderella slipper is off. As CBS Sports analyst Ashley Nicole Moss bluntly stated, the time for excuses is over. "You have no excuses," Moss emphasized. "It wasn't a gap year. You ended up the second seed in the Eastern Conference without Jayson Tatum. Now you have him back."

Her point cuts to the core of the heightened expectations in Boston. The team proved its championship-caliber foundation by excelling without its best player. Now, with a healthy Tatum playing at an elite level, a relatively open Eastern Conference path, and all the necessary talent and experience, the Celtics are rightly considered favorites.

This shift means the playoffs will be judged by a different standard. The "house money" they played with all season is gone. For a franchise defined by banners, anything short of a deep Finals run will be seen as a missed opportunity. The pressure is on, and as Moss asserts, there are no excuses left.