Brown had a strong start to the season beyond the arc but has cooled recently. After connecting on 36.9 percent of his 3-pointers through December, he has made just 32 percent since January.

Get Starting Point

A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.

But when Brown finds his way to the basket, he is a dominant force. He ranks in the top 10 in the league in net points on drives, shots at the rim, and layups. And he has a lot on his shoulders. His 36 percent usage rate trails only Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, and this high figure has helped the Celtics push into second place in the Eastern Conference, so he deserves credit there.

Payton Pritchard — It’s hard to believe that three years ago Pritchard was playing only a little more than 10 minutes per game. He has developed into one of this team’s most essential pillars, and his game has continued to evolve.

In fact, Pritchard has quietly become one of the NBA’s elite isolation scorers. This season he is averaging 1.31 points per possession in isolation situations, trailing only Heat guard Tyler Herro among players with at least one isolation possession per game.

Pritchard simply does not cough up the ball, either. His 4.49-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the league among players averaging at least 25 minutes per game. And despite his 6-foot-1-inch size, he is an elite finisher around the rim. He is averaging 1.67 points per possession on putbacks, tied for third in the NBA.

Pritchard is a pesky, willing defender. But that is one area in which he is vulnerable. According to ESPN analytics, he has minus-27.5 net points as a defender, 35th-worst in the league.

Derrick White — It speaks volumes that White’s advanced metrics are off the charts despite the fact that he is maneuvering through his worst shooting season as a Celtic. Boston has outscored opponents by 11 points per 100 possessions with White on the floor, and it has been outscored by 0.1 points per 100 possessions with White on the bench, a massive gap.

White is averaging a career-high 5.6 assists per game, and his impact as a distributor is probably bigger than that number makes it seem. According to The Bball Index, White ranks in the top 20 among all players in pass creation quality and passing efficiency.

At the other end of the floor, White is averaging 1.4 blocks per game. That is officially second among guards, although the leader in that category — 6-8 Scottie Barnes of the Raptors — is more of a wing. To sum it up, White has been immensely valuable, and Jayson Tatum’s expected return should help free him up for better looks on the perimeter.

Sam Hauser — Hauser is shooting 39.2 percent from the 3-point line this season. That is a figure that would help most players get a hefty contract, but for Hauser, it is slightly below his standard. The sharpshooter hit at least 40 percent from beyond the arc in all four of his college seasons as well as his four full NBA seasons.

Of course, Hauser is not far from continuing his streak, and he also has become a more diverse scorer who is finding ways to create his own shots. This season a career-high 32.1 percent of his 2-pointers have been unassisted, up from 18.8 a season ago. He also has become a sneaky finisher, averaging 1.53 points per possession on putbacks.

Opponents continue to hunt him on defense, but he generally holds his own as teams overemphasize the approach.

Neemias Queta — When the Celtics lost Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet from last season’s team, questions persisted about how they would fill the glaring hole in the middle. But Queta, a former two-way-contract player, has stepped into the role ably and admirably.

It doesn’t always show up on a stat sheet, but Queta has a knack for simply bothering opponents in subtle ways. He deters shots with his length, keeps rebounds alive long enough for his teammates to grab them, and is a nuisance as a screener.

The Celtics have outscored opponents by 11.6 points per 100 possessions with Queta on the court, the second-best net rating among regular rotation players. When defended by Queta, opponents are shooting 3.8 percentage points below their season average.

Gary Washburn gives us the inside story about what went on between Jaylen Brown’s All-Star event and the Beverly Hills police.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.