Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images
Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics started this season with more questions than answers. In the offseason, they lost key championship pieces Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet. They have been without their franchise cornerstone Jayson Tatum since last year’s second round. It was reasonable to expect growing pains and inconsistency. Some even predicted tanking.
Instead, they have found momentum.
Boston has won 5 straight and 8 of their last 10, climbing to 15–9 and playing with a connection that continues to build. The results matter, but so does the identity forming underneath them. Across the last 3 offseasons, Brad Stevens added four young players on inexpensive deals. None were headline moves, but all four are becoming meaningful pieces.
This year was supposed to be about staying afloat. For Celtics fans, it has turned into something far more promising.
The Celtics are now the 3rd seed in the East
WE ARE SO BACK.
Jordan Walsh Is Finding His Presence at the Perfect Time
Jordan Walsh came in as a long-term project, and for most of his early career struggled to crack the rotation. That all changed this season. Walsh was inserted into the starting lineup and has not looked back. At just 21, he is already changing matchups and helping define Boston’s identity, and the Celtics are 10–2 with him as a starter.
Walsh is looking like one of the league’s premier young defenders. He has taken on Austin Reaves, Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell and Cade Cunningham and held them to a combined 15 points on 117 possessions. He looks stronger, more decisive and more comfortable within the team’s structure. Offensively, he is moving with purpose instead of hesitation.
For a team searching for stability on the wing, Walsh has delivered exactly that. His growth has been one of the clearest signs that Boston’s internal development is working.
Jordan Walsh’s defensive résumé over a 10-day stretch 👀
💻 @NBCSBoston
Josh Minott and Hugo González Are Becoming the Connectors the Celtics Needed
Josh Minott and Hugo González arrived with different timelines, but both have become essential to the way Boston plays. Minott, 23, leads the league in positional versatility, blending into multiple lineups with ease. He is shooting 44.6 percent from three, rebounding at a high level and giving the Celtics the kind of energy that settles possessions without slowing them.
González, 19, was expected to develop more slowly, yet his feel has earned him real minutes already. His defense has been one of Boston’s quiet strengths. Recently against Orlando, he defended Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane without allowing a point in 17 possessions. His poise stands out, and the Celtics often look sharper when he checks in.
Together, Minott and González have given Boston pace, length, movement and defensive range. They are not just filling minutes. They are raising the floor of every lineup they touch.
The Celtics are 15-9 and the East 3-seed. Just beat the Cavs, Knicks, and Raptors over the past 8 days. Take them seriously. https://t.co/VaA0OVXb7M
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) December 8, 2025
Neemias Queta Has Become the Anchor Boston Searched For
Neemias Queta has given Boston exactly what it hoped to find after losing three veterans at the position. He finishes inside, controls the glass and protects the rim with a steadiness that keeps possessions calm. His screening has become a real weapon, freeing ball handlers in a way that noticeably smooths out the offense. The on-off numbers underline his importance. Boston is plus 19.7 per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor.
The reliability stands out. Boston knows what it is getting from him every night, and that dependability has helped shape the team’s defensive identity during this run.
Jordan Walsh is 21 making $2.2 million annually
Josh Minott is 23 making $2.5 million annually
Hugo Gonzalez is 19 making $2.7 million annually
Neemias Queta is 26 making $2.3 million annually
All young players that have contributed this season. Brad Stevens is a genius.
What It Means for the Celtics
Walsh is defending with purpose and growing into his offensive role. Minott and González are giving Boston the length, activity and versatility it needed to survive this stretch. Queta has become the anchor in the middle. Together, they make roughly 9.7 million dollars and have formed a foundation that has changed the direction of the season.
When Tatum returns, he will be stepping into a group that already knows who it is. Boston was not expected to reach this level of balance this early, but the growth behind these wins is real.
The Celtics do not just look steady. They look like a team beginning to find its next window.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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