Before the season started, some thought the Boston Celtics would be lucky to win around 40 games this year. Instead, they're already at 41 wins with a quarter of the season remaining.
After blowing out the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, the Celtics have the fourth-best record in the NBA at 41-20. They're also second in offensive rating, fifth in defensive rating and second in net rating, making them the only NBA team to rank in the top five in all those categories.
Who deserves the most credit for Boston's Cinderella season? Much of it belongs to Brad Stevens, who built the team and nailed pretty much every offseason move, managing to assemble a competitive roster while getting the payroll under the second luxury tax apron.
Joe Mazzulla deserves credit as well, of course, for getting the most out of his players on a nightly basis and holding them to a high standard. He doesn't have the most talented roster in the league, but he's maximizing the talent he does have.
And then there's Jaylen Brown, who's emerged as an MVP candidate in Jayson Tatum's absence. He's embraced his role as a leader and an elite two-way player, setting the tone for the rest of the team.
The Celtics have the fourth-most wins in the NBA and rank in the top five in offensive rating, defensive rating, and net rating, the only team in the league to do so.
What they’ve accomplished is incredible.
Who deserves the most credit?@JonesandKeefe @JonesWEEI @Keefe21 pic.twitter.com/dmWQENHBD7
— WEEI (@WEEI) March 3, 2026
On Tuesday's episode of WEEI's "Jones And Keefe" radio show, hosts Adam Jones and Rich Keefe both agreed that Brown deserves the bulk of the credit for the Celtics' dominance this year.
"A big part of it would be Jaylen Brown...He's lived up to it," Keefe said. "Now he is the lead guy, and he's making the most of it. I think everybody's sort of falling into place and they follow him...He's fully embraced it, and the team has bought in."
"I agree with you. I think that's the reason," Jones added, citing Brown's scoring prowess along with his passing and rebounding. "You have a very well-rounded player who's emerged as a true down-ballot MVP candidate and a true First-Team All-NBA guy. That's why you're overachieving. You replace Tatum with an approximation of Jayson Tatum overnight."
Tatum might be coming back soon, too, which could help Boston reach another level.
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