The 2025-2026 Boston Celtics are exceeding even essentially the most optimistic expectations. This season was presupposed to be a retooling yr and a spot yr when the Celtics would lastly decide contained in the top-20 within the NBA Draft, possibly even quietly put their thumb on the dimensions and stealth-tank their approach into the lottery.
In hindsight, it ought to have been apparent that Joe Mazzulla and Jaylen Brown would by no means take the cowards approach out. Thirty-five video games into the season, the Boston Celtics are the 2 seed within the Jap Convention and it’s time to reset expectations.
If we’re speaking about essentially the most stunning groups within the NBA — in a great way — the dialog begins with both the Boston Celtics or the San Antonio Spurs. It is a Celtics crew that gained 61 video games final season after which misplaced 5 of its prime eight rotation gamers. Jayson Tatum went down with an Achilles tear. Al Horford, Jrue Vacation, Luke Kornet, and Kristaps Porziņģis had been casualties of salary-cap stress. And never solely did they lose a number of the league’s finest star position gamers, however they changed them with fully unproven expertise. And but, the Boston Celtics rank 4th in web score, trailing solely the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons. They boast the second-ranked offense within the league, and a league common protection (fifteenth), with the decrease rating pushed nearly fully by one obvious weak point: defensive rebounding. Zoom in additional and over the past 15 video games, the Celtics rank first within the NBA in web score. The Celtics are constructing the statistical profile of a respectable championship contender.
I view the success of this crew by the lens of a two-headed tiger snake: Joe Mazzulla and Jaylen Brown. Mazzulla assessed the capabilities of his roster to perfection; to make up for his or her defensive rebounding deficiencies, he has hyper-focused on dominating the possession battle in different phases of the sport. Boston turns the ball over lower than any crew within the league and ranks sixth in offensive rebounding charge. Mazzulla has additionally modified his defensive philosophy; in years previous, it was about not fouling, forcing powerful pictures, and shutting possessions with a rebound. In his limitless quest for extra possessions, the main focus has shifted to forcing extra turnovers. Final season, the Celtics ranked twenty fourth in forcing turnovers and this season, they rank twelfth. Add all of it up, and also you get a components that not solely offsets the crew’s greatest weak point, however permits them to constantly management the possession battle. Joe Mazzulla needs to be on the very prime of the Coach of the 12 months poll.
You cannot overstate Jaylen Brown’s position on this unbelievable Celtics season both. Teaching philosophies imply nothing with out buy-in, and buy-in is rarely a problem when your finest participant can also be your hardest employee. Jaylen Brown was already a lock to have his jersey within the TD Backyard rafters when he secured the 2024 Finals MVP, however this season is his most spectacular but. If the season ended in the present day, nobody would bat an eye fixed if Jaylen Brown ended up on All-NBA First Staff.
Gamers taking vital growth steps of their tenth NBA season is past uncommon, however each time I feel Jaylen is at his ceiling, he smashes by it. Jaylen Brown is placing up respectable MVP numbers: 29.6 factors, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists on 59% true capturing. He’s additionally doing it whereas taking over the problem of guarding gamers like Kawhi Leonard. The management has been simply as spectacular. Brown has empowered younger gamers like Jordan Walsh, set the tone day by day, and demanded accountability. That management has even compelled gamers like Anfernee Simons — a participant not identified for soiled work — to crash the glass and guard his yard. I’m blown away by Jaylen Brown this season.
There was a purpose Boston’s projected win whole hovered round 41.5 getting into the season.
Once you throw six late draft picks or undrafted gamers into your rotation, hitting on one is a win. Hit on two, and the GM will get praised as a roster-building wizard. Hit on all of them? Then it may be time to start out asking whether or not Brad Stevens made a cope with the satan, was touched by powers past our comprehension, or possibly each.
Even Jaylen agrees that what the Celtics are doing isn’t regular.
“I need to communicate to how uncommon it’s to have like 5-6 new gamers are available and add to profitable immediately. It says so much about our management. It says so much about our teaching workers, as a result of that doesn’t occur within the NBA, and I feel that ought to get talked about extra…most of these guys haven’t performed within the league constantly, and for us to be the place we’re at, is a testomony to our management, our group.”
The event and instant impression of this unproven group is the subsequent pillar of this storybook season. Neemias Queta has developed right into a defensive anchor that the crew can depend on night time in and night time out. Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, and Josh Minott are Joe Mazzulla’s Swiss Military knife chaos brokers that go away opposing groups surprised within the wake of shares and offensive rebounds. Luka Garza is incomes his Garzilla nickname by mashing folks on the offensive glass, whereas being an offensive connector who’s capturing 47% from the three-point line. Baylor Scheierman is incomes minutes as an power man that can sprinkle in some spicy passes and no-dip three-pointers from the corners. All six of those gamers have exceeded expectations to various levels — only a flabbergasting stage of impression from the unproven platoon that Brad Stevens believed in.
The Celtics should not solely statistically on the prime of the convention with the Pistons and Knicks, however head-to-head, they’ve confirmed they will hold. The Celtics are 1-1 towards the Knicks and 1-2 towards the Pistons, however all three video games towards the Pistons have gone right down to the wire. Now that this crew has established that they will play with anybody, particularly anybody within the Jap Convention, it’s time to assume greater. That is Boston in spite of everything. Cinderella tales are enjoyable, but when there’s an opportunity to make a run at Banner 19, then it’s time to behave accordingly.
When Payton Pritchard was requested if he takes satisfaction within the Celtics being the two-seed after all of the modifications this offseason, his response was on model.
“I take a variety of satisfaction in being first within the East, so we nonetheless want some work to get to that time, that’s the principle objective.”
So how do the Celtics go from cute story to bona fide championship contenders? When assessing this present model of the Celtics, there may be one apparent Achilles heel, no pun meant: defensive rebounding. The Celtics rank twenty fifth in defensive rebounding charge. If the Celtics might simply develop into league common, it could enhance their total protection into top-10 territory. One option to repair it’s to amass among the best wing rebounders in league historical past, Jayson Tatum. The Celtics miss a variety of what made Jayson Tatum particular, however including his defensive rebounding ought to instantly assist with the Celtics’ greatest weak point, to not point out it could be good to get Tatum’s elite scoring, playmaking, and defensive versatility again. Among the best groups within the league could merely be including a top-5 participant on the commerce deadline with out having to surrender a single asset.
Nonetheless, counting on Neemias Queta and Luka Garza as playoff bigs makes me a bit queasy. If Boston desires to make a respectable run on the title, one other large man feels crucial. Whether or not that’s a splash transfer for Ivica Zubac or an under-the-radar addition like Day’Ron Sharpe, reinforcements for the massive man rotation are a should. Both approach, Celtics followers ought to sleep properly figuring out Brad Stevens is the one guiding them in direction of Banner 19.
