{"id":555977,"date":"2026-01-23T18:15:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T18:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/555977\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T18:15:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T18:15:23","slug":"10-reasons-the-celtics-have-exceeded-expectations-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/555977\/","title":{"rendered":"10 reasons the Celtics have exceeded expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before the season began, everyone had a different opinion about how the Celtics<\/a> would fare.<\/p>\n

Some people naively thought they would plummet to the bottom of the East and tank for hometown kid AJ Dybantsa. Others thought they would hang around and perhaps make a surge if, and only if, Jayson Tatum returned. Most thought they would end up right around .500 or maybe a bit better (I was in that group).<\/p>\n

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Very few genuinely believed that, more than halfway through the season, they would be 11 games above .500 and second in the East. If you did, kudos to you, but I certainly didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

So, how have they done it? Well, a lot goes into it, but from my perspective, here are ten reasons they\u2019re still contenders.<\/p>\n

1. Jaylen Brown has gone from outstanding to unstoppable.<\/p>\n

I think we can all officially stop debating whether or not Jaylen Brown is capable of thriving as the No. 1 option on a contender. I thought Brown would embrace this role and excel in it, but I didn\u2019t expect this level of pure domination.<\/p>\n

Brown has upped his scoring (22.2 to 29.8), rebounding (5.8 to 6.7) and assists (4.5 to 4.8) per game from last year, while also improving his efficiency (46.3 to 48, 32.4 to 36.4, 76.4 to 79.1). He\u2019s taking over games, leading by example and making life easier for everyone around him. His teammates have followed suit.<\/p>\n

2. They\u2019ve stuck with what\u2019s worked in the past.<\/p>\n

When the season began, people fairly wondered if the Celtics could continue their 3-point shooting prowess without Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.<\/p>\n

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The answer is a resounding yes. They still have Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser. Add in Anfernee Simons, Luka Garza and some young guys who are improving in that area, and that\u2019s a whole lot of offensive firepower.<\/p>\n

Boston is second in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game (15.6), second in 3\u2019s attempted per game (42.4) and seventh in 3-point percentage (36.8). Last year\u2019s percentage? 36.8. How\u2019s that for consistency?<\/p>\n

3. Returning catalysts have expanded their roles.<\/p>\n

While Brown has elevated his game, White, Pritchard, Hauser and Neemias Queta have embraced more opportunity as well.<\/p>\n

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Some of White\u2019s shooting numbers are down, but he\u2019s averaging more points (16.4 to 17.6), rebounds (4.5 to 4.6) and assists (4.8 to 5.4) than last year and is still everywhere defensively. Pritchard is posting career-highs in minutes, points, assists and rebounds as well, and Hauser hasn\u2019t missed a shot in 2026. Queta is handling a lot of responsibility on an undersized team and making it look easy.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m always amazed how seamlessly NBA players can adjust to greater responsibility, but the thing about this team is that those adjustments are leading to wins.<\/p>\n

4. Young guys are ready when their number is called.<\/p>\n

It can be hard to play some nights and sit on the bench others, but this group hasn\u2019t flinched in that respect. Joe Mazzulla tends to mix and match based on the opponent, and the young players on the roster deserve credit for staying ready and pouncing when they get the chance.<\/p>\n

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Jordan Walsh is playing some of the best basketball of his career and is a menace defensively. Baylor Scheierman is starting to figure it out, holding his own defensively and displaying his unique ability as a playmaker. Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez has a chance to be special and is just scratching the surface.<\/p>\n

\"Orlando,<\/p>\n

Orlando, FL \u2013 April 25: Boston Celtics forward Baylor Scheierman, left, and guard Jordan Walsh participate in the team shoot-around before Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs against the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran\/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

5. The new guys have fit in seamlessly.<\/p>\n

Simons, Garza and Josh Minott have exceeded expectations and bought into the overall identity of the group. Simons is a starting-caliber player coming off the bench, Garza is often the glue for this team and Minott has been a pest and insane athlete when healthy.<\/p>\n

6. They\u2019ve made strides on the glass.<\/p>\n

The Celtics are now 10th in the NBA in rebounds per game (45.1) and sixth in offensive rebounds per game (12.7). They were never going to be at the very top in that category, and that\u2019s OK. As long as they\u2019re holding own, and not letting teams bully them inside, they\u2019ll be in most games. Teams like the Pistons and Rockets are tough matchups because of their size, but the Celtics are capable of finding creative ways to compensate.<\/p>\n

7. Everyone has bought into playing defense.<\/p>\n

Already-elite defenders like Brown, White and Queta have taken the next step. Players like Pritchard, Hauser, Simons and Garza, who are probably sick of constantly hearing about their defensive shortcomings, continue to prove people wrong. Guys like Walsh, Minott and Gonz\u00e1lez have provided contagious energy.<\/p>\n

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Defense was a way bigger question mark than offense, and so far, the Celtics have passed the test and then some. They\u2019ve allowed the second-fewest points in the league (109.8), behind only the Thunder, which is extremely impressive.<\/p>\n

8. They\u2019ve leaned into playing at their own pace.<\/p>\n

I expected this team to play a run-and-gun style of offense, but so far, it\u2019s been just the opposite. The Celtics are dead last in the league in pace (96.43) and have had the third-fewest possessions (4,140) in the league. They\u2019re dictating the action and making teams play their style. That\u2019s generally an indicator that the ball is moving and they\u2019re turning down good shots for great ones.<\/p>\n

\"Miami,<\/p>\n

Miami, FL \u2013 May 21: Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra screams at a referee while Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla looks away. The Celtics lost to the Heat, 128-102, in Game 3 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. (Photo by Jim Davis\/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

9. Joe Mazzulla is coaching at an extremely high level.<\/p>\n

The players deserve the bulk of the credit for items 1 through 8, but Mazzulla and his staff deserve praise as well.<\/p>\n

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Mazzulla inherited one of the best situations in NBA history, but he\u2019s proving day by day that his early success wasn\u2019t just a product of his circumstances. He\u2019s one of the best coaches in the NBA and has found a sustainable winning formula with this team.<\/p>\n

10. They\u2019re playing with joy and for one another.<\/p>\n

Body language is important in sports. You can tell when players are sick of one another and aren\u2019t bought in for the greater good. This team is clearly united and relentlessly pursuing a common goal. Of course, winning can lead to buy in, but without the buy in, wins can be hard to find.<\/p>\n

This could be a season to remember, and oh yeah, that Tatum guy is making steady progress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Before the season began, everyone had a different opinion about how the Celtics would fare. Some people naively…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":555978,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3766],"tags":[869,4329,7,1266,45,75,3798,46,1243,3528,78,77,2675,4989,7272,2038,871,17915,189,6,1177,4986,76,405,211,2080],"class_list":["post-555977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boston-celtics","tag-al-horford","tag-anfernee-simons","tag-basketball","tag-baylor-scheierman","tag-boston","tag-boston-celtics","tag-bostonceltics","tag-celtics","tag-derrick-white","tag-hugo-gonzalez","tag-jaylen-brown","tag-jayson-tatum","tag-joe-mazzulla","tag-jordan-walsh","tag-josh-minott","tag-jrue-holiday","tag-kristaps-porzingis","tag-luka-garza","tag-miami-heat","tag-nba","tag-nba-eastern-conference","tag-neemias-queta","tag-orlando-magic","tag-payton-pritchard","tag-rockets","tag-sam-hauser"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115945782231137234","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=555977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/555978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=555977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=555977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=555977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}