Hampered by bad luck and salary cap constraints, the Boston Celtics are headed for a gap year–just one season removed from their championship run. Jayson Tatum is likely out for the year with a torn Achilles, while starters Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, long-time Celtic Al Horford, and fan-favorite back-up center Luke Kornet are all elsewhere.

WHAT’S NEW?

The Celtics’ front office did a fine job plugging holes, all things considered–yet another testament to why they’re among the league’s best. First up: scoring guard Anfernee Simons, acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jrue Holiday. It might seem risky to move on from a two-way veteran, especially with one who helped you win a ring, but with Tatum sidelined, Boston desperately needs offensive firepower–and that’s exactly what Simons brings. He can shoot and score big when he’s on. It doesn’t hurt that he’s on an expiring contract.

Next, they signed long and lanky forward Chris Boucher. He’s an interesting fit as he can run on the break, disrupt the passing lanes, and be a rim protector. Such adds second-chance situations and it brings factors that ultimately don’t show up on the statsheet.

BIGGEST QUESTIONS

The main question is how far can they go without Tatum, which is also indirectly asking how good the supporting cast is when there’s one less star to rely on, and how good of a coach Joe Mazzulla truly is, especially now that the usual is off the table. Mazzulla’s coaching chops, whether Xs and Os, mentoring, or managing the locker room’s overall energy all throughout a possible trying season, will be put to the ultimate test.

Also, if things go terribly south midway into it, will the big bosses elect to sit guys out?

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Obviously, the Celtics will be ‘The Jaylen Brown Show’ for the most part. He’s an All-Star and All-NBA level weapon, and he’ll have the free rein for good chunks of the game. It’s also an excellent opportunity to prove himself as a true no. 1 option—or at least pick up a few things on how to elevate his game even further.

Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Anfernee Simons will pretty much take turns for the no. 2 scorer role, and it should be interesting. White is the veteran and arguably the smartest offensive player in the group, so he’ll know how to pick his spots; Pritchard has the most momentum given how he just won NBA Sixth Man of the Year; while Simons is the most prolific and skilled scorer. Either it works and the offense stays crazy, or it will just flat-out suck, much like how the weird addition of Isaiah Thomas disrupted the Goran Dragic-Eric Bledsoe combo on the supposedly promising mid-2010s Phoenix Suns.

Simons is currently on trade rumors, but we’ll assume he’ll stay a Celtic come opening day.

REASON FOR OPTIMISM/CONCERN:

Challenges come in bunches whenever your most relied upon scorer is absent, and for the Celtics, that’s regardless if Jaylen Brown goes off as a top five scorer on the season. That said, Mazzulla and his guys have earned enough trust that it wouldn’t be shocking if they squeeze a 46-50-win season out of his new-look and undermanned group.