Heading into the current campaign, Boston Celtics seemed poised for another deep run, buoyed by a strong showing in summer league and a promising pre-season. Optimism was high. But real games have told a different story.
The Celtics opened the season 0-3 — their first such start since 2013-14. In those three losses, several recurring themes have stood out:
Rebounding and physicality issues
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In their most recent defeat before the first win, Boston was “pummeled on the glass.” says CBS News. Without an anchor consistently controlling the paint and rebound battle, they were giving up extra possessions and easy second-chance points.
Energy, execution and identity
As noted in coverage of their first loss, they looked “a step slow defensively, couldn’t make a layup” and stars failed to find consistent scoring rhythm. Partly this is about execution; partly it’s about rhythm and chemistry.
Roster turnover / missing pieces
Brown himself admitted that the team is “a work in progress”. After losing multiple veteran contributors — including big men and defenders — the Celtics are in transition. Blending new players, shifting roles, and adjusting to departures has taxed consistency.
Offensive stagnation and lack of dominance
They no longer steamroll opponents like they did previously. Analysts point to a decline in domination — which means there are fewer cushions for mistakes. Turnovers, slow starts, and poor shot-selection have crept into their game. One breakdown: the offense has struggled with movement, isolations have increased, and the result is more contested shots and fewer open looks. Also, their pace and ability to dictate tempo have been questioned.
Shooting and ball-handling issues
In recent editions, the Celtics have hit rough patches from the perimeter and have given up too many careless turnovers. With new lineups and inexperienced rotations, maintaining ball-security and shooting efficiency has been tougher.
So, while the preseason optimism was justified — the talent and structure remain elite — the early games have exposed the cracks that naturally emerge when a team is integrating new pieces and adjusting after departures.
What’s encouraging about the two recent wins
Despite the rocky beginning, there are meaningful signs of improvement which suggest Boston might be turning a corner.
In their first victory, the Celtics dismantled the New Orleans Pelicans 122-90.
Guard Anfernee Simons drained six three-pointers and scored 25 points, giving Boston a much-needed offensive spark.
The Celtics unleashed a crushing 31-4 run in the final 9:14 of the game to pull away convincingly.
The lineup included promising front-court contributions (for example a young player delivered 15 points, nine rebounds in his first start) and showed more balance.
They dominated in rebounds and second-chance opportunities, areas that had haunted them early.
Their latest victory provides perhaps the best single snapshot of that turnaround in action. Boston defeated Cleveland Cavaliers 125-105 in their home arena.
Jaylen Brown led the way with 30 points (12-of-20 shooting), including 4-of-9 from three. Sam Hauser came off the bench to score 21 points, drilling seven threes. Josh Minott grabbed 14 boards, Neemias Queta had 13. Payton Pritchard dished out 10 assists. This kind of breadth of production from starters and bench gives hope that Boston is not relying on only one or two guys to carry the load.
After a tightly contested opening quarter (Cleveland led 42-40), Boston closed the first half with a dominant 20-3 run to lead 75-60 at halftime.
They maintained control thereafter: Cleveland never got closer than nine points in the fourth quarter, and the Celtics pushed the lead out to 20 at one stage. This shows Boston’s ability to flip the script mid-game: turning deficits into control, showing stamina and focus, which were missing earlier in the season.
What still needs work
Even with the turn-in progress, Boston cannot coast. The remaining items to lock in include:
Opening-quarter lethargy: the slow starts must end. Being behind early puts the Celtics at risk of having to play catch-up more often than their roster should.
Consistency of shot-making: while Hauser and Brown shot well in this game, the broader squad must sustain this across more than one game.
Role clarity & depth rotations: as younger players see more minutes, the team must avoid line‐up confusion and ensure each unit knows its job.
Sustaining defensive effort: Toronto, Philly, and other Eastern contenders will test Boston’s ability to defend for 48 minutes and roll with injuries or off nights.
Maintaining the physical edge: rebounding, second-chance defence, and paint protection must stay a priority.
Improved signs
The defensive posture looked sharper: they forced turnovers, limited offensive rebounds, and held opponents in check.
The offense looked freer with more ball movement and better spacing, leading to higher-quality shots.
Coaching appears to be adjusting: deploying different lineups, emphasizing front-court rebounding, and giving younger players meaningful minutes.
All of this suggests the pieces are beginning to settle. The slow start may have been more about transition than terminal.
In sum, the Celtics’ slow start is not inexplicable — it’s the natural consequence of high expectations meeting roster change, role realignments and the grind of early-season chemistry building. The initial defeats exposed vulnerabilities that teams could exploit.
But the recent win(s) show that Boston may be waking up. They have the raw materials — elite talent, experience, a championship ecosystem. If the recent performance is sign of progress rather than anomaly, then they could well be on the mend.
The key will be: can they string together consistency? Can they lock in the rebounding, the defensive intensity and the ball movement that were missing early? If yes — the slow start will matter less. If no — they risk sliding into the same pattern of inconsistency that has dogged them in recent years.
For now, patience is warranted. The ‘new’ Celtics worth believing in are starting to show themselves.