For a proud franchise like the Boston Celtics, a winless start to the season may very well be a death sentence. It’s been a little more than 16 months since the Celtics won their record-resetting 18th NBA title, but a roster overhaul and unfortunate injuries have put their dynastic dreams into disarray.
They’ve walked the tightrope of staying competitive and keeping a lean organization and in falling towards the latter, the former took a hit.
Boston had an uncharacteristic start to their 2025-2026 campaign, losing their first three games to the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks, and the Detroit Pistons, all of whom are currently among the top five in the Eastern Conference.
The offense was clearly struggling without Jayson Tatum as the Celtics’ points per game, efficiency, and passing were close to the bottom of the league. Trying to fill the void left by an injured franchise cornerstone is tough even by committee, but Boston eventually persevered as the likes of Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and Anfernee Simons have helped provide support to Jaylen Brown.
Eventually, the Celtics returned to .500 and an opportunity to build some momentum came in the form of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets aren’t going to scare anyone with the 2-11 record they had entering their matchup in Boston, but their athletic and lengthy lineup could pose concerns. Early on, the Celtics couldn’t get all the shots they wanted, encountered a wider area to cover on defense, and faced some pressure in the interior. Thus, Boston needed to rethink their approach, lest they wanted to fall below .500 and draw the ire of their fans.
The Celtics bench got the ball rolling, relying on their scrappy efforts to erase a 10-point deficit before the opening quarter ended. When the starters returned, there was a more noticeable effort to move the ball and draw out the frontcourt, creating an opening that Brown and White could work with.
Wins like these certainly give Boston the confidence to pull off surprises in what is still a wide-open East. They’re not the only team reeling from the devastating run of Achilles tears, but they’re not an inexperienced bunch unlike some of the peers ahead of them. The Celtics still have individual talent that can get to them through May as Brown could be an All-Star this year, while White and Pritchard could earn some consideration too. Pritchard, in particular, has been making the most of his newfound opportunities. He fills any role Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla places him in and his reliability has made him all the more indispensable for the foreseeable future.
However, as great as things have been as of late, the Celtics still need to be consistent, particularly with their ball movement. Much of what plagued Boston early on against Brooklyn was the individual play that stood no chance. The shots have fallen, but these have come after players take a ton of dribbles. Teams have seen that Celtics passes led to turnovers and those errors led to points for their opponents. It was not an issue against the Nets, but tomorrow and the rest of the season is another matter altogether.
For now, the Boston Celtics must be happy that they are back to some measure of winning. They can’t settle for this, though, as they were not even two years removed from their last NBA championship, which Celtics fans may have already moved on from by now.
