Could the Boston Celtics emerge as genuine contenders in the East?

We’re a quarter of the way through the 2025-26 NBA regular season, and the Boston Celtics are already proving their doubters wrong. When Brad Stevens began deconstructing the 2024 championship team, many expected Boston to be fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament. However, after some initial struggles, it would appear the team is starting to figure things out.

Joe Mazzulla’s squad is coming off an impressive win over the New York Knicks. They’re .500 on the road and 7-4 at home. Furthermore, they’ve won 7 of their last 10 games to position them as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, just 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors, who occupy the second seed.

In a recent video from the “Backyard Buckets” YouTube channel, the host jokingly claimed that the Celtics had lied to the NBA fanbase. He pinpointed the consistent improvements we’re seeing from the team, including Derrick White emerging from his early-season slump and the play of multiple young talents such as Jordan Walsh and Josh Minott. The host also went on to remind everyone that sooner or later, this Celtics team will get Jayson Tatum back, and when that happens, they could still be the top team in the Eastern Conference.

You can watch the full video by clicking on the embedded link above.

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Could the Celtics emerge as genuine contenders in the East?