Just past the quarter-mark of the NBA season, the Boston Celtics, at 15-9, sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, ranking in the top eight in wins league-wide… just like everybody expected.
They’re on pace to win 51 games. To hit their preseason over-under of 41.5 wins, their lowest since the 2014-15 season, they only need to win 27 of their remaining 58 (46.5%) games.
With just two games in the 11 days following Sunday’s win over the Raptors, it’s a good time to look back at the first quarter of the season and take stock of where they’re at and how they’ve gotten here. So let’s dig into some of the numbers that define the Celtics a little over a quarter of the way into the season.
15-6 - Record since 0-3 start
It feels like forever ago that the Celtics dropped their first three games of the season, marking their first 0-3 start since the 2013-14 team (which won just 25 games) and only the ninth in franchise history.
Early on, the Celtics maintained that much of their struggles could be attributed to having five new faces on the roster (eight if you count the two-way players), along with players figuring out new roles, preaching patience.
As the season has progressed, that growth and comfort have translated into cohesive, well-executed basketball, with the Celtics riding a .714 winning pace since their worst start in over a decade. They’ve also won 11 of their last 15 and eight of their last 10.
9 - Wins over teams .500 or better
You’ve probably had enough schedule talk with the Patriots this season, so I won’t bore you with more.
That said, nine of the Celtics’ 15 wins (60%) have come against teams at .500 or better, the most in the NBA. A good chunk of those victories have come against quality opponents.
They’re also 6-2 against teams below .500.
8-5 - Record against teams in the top eight of the Eastern Conference
The Celtics are 8–5 against the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference (Pistons, Knicks, Raptors, Magic, Heat, 76ers, Cavaliers). They’ve beaten every team at least once, except the Miami Heat, whom they haven’t seen yet this season (but will a week from Friday).
The only team they have a losing record against is the Philadelphia 76ers (1–2). In a wide-open Eastern Conference, the Celtics have shown they can play with anybody.
+160 - Point differential
The Celtics have the fifth-best point differential in the NBA and the second-best in the Eastern Conference.
Their 45-point win over the Washington Wizards is the largest blowout by any team this season. Their six 20-point wins are the most in the East and the third-most in the league, trailing only Oklahoma City (7) and Houston (6). And their three 30-point wins are the second-most in the NBA, behind only the Thunder.
7 - Clutch wins
Early on, it looked like crunch time was going to be an issue for the Celtics. Seven of their first 12 games came down to clutch minutes (defined by the NBA as a game within five points with under five minutes left), and Boston went just 2–5 in those situations.
However, the Celtics have seemingly worked out those struggles. In their last seven clutch games, they’re 5–2, including 4–1 in their last six.
122.0 - Offensive rating
Boston’s 120.0 offensive rating is second-best in the NBA, trailing only the Denver Nuggets (124.0). For reference, the Celtics recorded a 119.5 last year, and the 2023–24 championship team finished at 122.2.
It’s pretty wild to think about when you consider that Jayson Tatum (who accounted for 23% of the team’s points per game last season) hasn’t played a single minute yet this year. The offense is executing at a ridiculously high level.
16.0 - Threes made per game
Boston’s 16.0 three-pointers made per game lead the NBA, and they’re hitting them at a 36.9% clip, which is top ten in the league. The Celtics are 12-2 when they make more threes than their opponents and are a perfect 11-0 when they shoot 36% or better from downtown. They have outscored opponents by +168 from three this season.
12.2% - Turnover percentage
Taking care of the basketball has been a hallmark of Joe Mazzulla-coached teams. Since Mazzulla took over, the Celtics have ranked seventh, first, and second in turnover percentage. This season, they have a league-low 12.2%.
The Celtics have averaged 11.9 turnovers per game in each of the last two seasons (ranking first in 2023-24 and second in 2024-25), and despite all the roster turnover, that number has remained essentially the same, sitting at 11.8. Opponents score just 14.5 points per game off Boston turnovers, a league-low.
15.3% - Opponent turnover percentage
While the Celtics take care of the ball, they also do a good job forcing turnovers with their chaotic defense. Their 15.3% opponent turnover percentage ranks in the top 10 in the NBA (ninth). Boston’s 19.3 points off turnovers per game is also top-10, coming in at eighth.
22.8 - Personal fouls per game
As part of the trade-off that comes with forcing turnovers through their chaotic defense, the Celtics also commit the third-most fouls per game. Their opponent's free-throw attempt rate (the number of free throws allowed compared to the number of shot attempts allowed) sits at 30.9%, the fourth-highest rate in the league. Opponents are making 21.1 free throws per game, the fifth-most in the NBA.
66.3% -Defensive rebounding percentage
It was known this would be a problem for the Celtics. Boston’s opponents have grabbed 33.7% of available offensive rebounds (second-highest rate in the league), resulting in 12.4 offensive rebounds per game (fifth-most) and 16.5 second-chance points per game (seventh-most).
33.3% - Offensive rebounding percentage
The Celtics have been able to overcome their defensive rebounding struggles with strong offensive rebounding of their own. Boston’s 33.3% offensive rebounding percentage is seventh in the NBA. Their 13.0 offensive rebounds per game are good for fifth in the NBA and the highest by a Celtics team since the 1999-2000 season (13.5), yielding 17.5 second-chance points per game (third-most in the league).
110.6 - Opponent points per game
Boston allows 110.6 points per game, the third-fewest in the NBA, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. Opponents shoot just 44.6% from the field against the Celtics, tied for the third-lowest mark in the league. Their defense has been stronger than their 17th-ranked defensive rating (114.8) might suggest, a number slightly inflated by struggles after forcing a first-shot miss.
10-2 - Record when Jordan Walsh starts
The breakout is real for 21-year-old Jordan Walsh. Since entering the starting lineup, the Celtics are 10-2, tied for the second-best record in the NBA, trailing only the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder (12-0). Walsh has thrived in his role, bringing frantic, versatile defense, strong rebounding, and timely scoring. Night after night, he sets the tone defensively, taking on the opponent’s top assignment and making life miserable with relentless ball pressure.
He’s held James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey, Anthony Edwards, Franz Wagner, Scottie Barnes, Austin Reaves, and Jaren Jackson Jr. to a combined 11-of-52 (21.1%) shooting.
13 - 30-point games from Jaylen Brown
Jaylen Brown’s 13 30-point games are tied with Donovan Mitchell for the most in the Eastern Conference. Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19) has more. Brown is playing at an All-NBA level, averaging 29.1 points (49.6% FG, 36.3% 3PT), 6.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, a stat line only matched by Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. He has led the team in scoring 19 times and in assists 10 times.
9-1 - Record when Derrick White scores 19+
The Celtics go as White goes. This season, they are 9-1 when he scores 19+ points, 6-2 when he hits 4+ threes, 4-0 when he hits 5+ threes, and 8-0 when he shoots 45% or better from the field.
So it’s no surprise that during their best stretch of the season — a 7-1 run featuring six wins against teams over .500, a five-game win streak, and a +90 point differential — the Celtics have had the best version of White, who has averaged 22.4 points (49.1% FG / 41.7% 3PT), 5.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks.
16.1 - Neemias Queta’s net rating
Neemias Queta’s impact has been undeniable. Among players averaging at least 20 minutes with at least 20 games played, Queta’s 16.1 net rating is seventh in the NBA and first in the Eastern Conference. Take out the Thunder, who have a ridiculous five players in the top seven (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein), and Queta’s rating is second, behind only Houston’s Steven Adams (20.7).
Queta’s 103.8 defensive rating is also good for seventh in the NBA and first in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are +165 with Queta on the floor (team-best) and -5 with him off the floor (team-worst). He has been remarkably consistent.
3.97 - Payton Pritchard’s assist-to-turnover ratio
Pritchard’s 3.97 assist-to-turnover ratio is the third-best in the NBA among starters with at least 20 games played. He has 119 assists to just 30 turnovers, leading the team in assists 10 times, tied with Jaylen Brown for the team-high. His shooting hasn’t been as consistent as he’d probably like, but 17.1 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.3 rebounds is a strong line from your starting point guard.
7-3 - Record when Anfernee Simons scores 15+ points
Simons' adjustment has been challenging, but when aggressive, he adds a new dimension. Boston is 7-3 when he scores 15+, 6-1 when he scores 18+, and 3-1 when he gets to 20+, though consistency remains a challenge.
44% — Baylor Scheierman, Hugo González, Jordan Walsh, and Josh Minott are all shooting better than that from three
Who would have thought that Baylor Scheierman (48.6%), Hugo González (47.4%), Jordan Walsh (45.7%), and Josh Minott (44.6%) would be leading the Celtics in three-point percentage?
Sure, the sample sizes are relatively small, but these guys aren’t supposed to be high-volume shooters. They’re expected to make the open threes when they get them — and they have — while also providing tenacious defense. The growth from Boston’s young wings, on both ends of the floor, has been a significant development.