No Team In The NBA Takes You On A Rollercoaster Of Emotions Quite Like The Boston Celtics

Maddie Meyer. Getty Images.

Through 14 games this season, we're still learning just who the 2025-26 Boston Celtics are going to be. At this moment in time, the only things we know for sure are that they are an extremely hilarious team that somehow has the ability to shapeshift between a dominant basketball force and arguably the worst basketball team on planet Earth, all within the same 48 minute game. It's remarkable. When they're good, god damn are they good. You see championship foundation on full display.

When they're bad? God damn are they bad. A level of futility that really only exists with the teams you see at the bottom of the league.

But in my opinion, this is what makes them so hilarious. On the surface, 7-7 and 11th in the East is objectively bad. We can all admit that. If this were any other team than the Celtics in that spot, we would not say they are good.

HOWEVAH

Then you look closer. Since their 0-3 start, the Celts are 7-4 with a top 5 net rating in the entire NBA. On the season, they own the 8th best offense, 11th best defense, and 8th best net rating. The Celts also own the 4th highest point differential in the East, barely trailing the top 3 (+4.8 vs +4.6). Objectively, those are things that "good" teams have.

So who the hell is this team?

Honestly, probably somewhere in the middle. What we're seeing is top 40s/low 50s on court production, but a win rate in the low 40s high 30s. At least so far. What's crazy, is this team hasn't even shot the ball well yet. They are still the 5th worst shooting team in the NBA (but it's getting better!), and in 2025, you sort of need to score to be effective. 

At some point, things will settle. If you keep throwing up a +4.7 net rating and a +4.6 point differential, NBA history tells us that translates to winning 45+ games and will be safely in the top 6. 

At the same time, this team is 3-6 vs teams .500 or better, and as we've seen their flaws show up at pretty important times in close games, resulting in a 3-5 clutch time record. Only the Mavs have more clutch time losses (8), and some of the other teams with 5 include IND, NO, and POR, two or which are the worst teams in the NBA.

It feels like this season will pretty much boil down to the Celts either going belt to ass and blowing someone out, or losing close. Does that mean you're good? Does that mean you suck? Does that mean you're stuck in this weird NBA limbo? Time will tell, but yesterday's game against the Clippers is a great example of this entire premise.

In the same game, we saw the Celts up by 24 and look fantastic. Then, in the blink of an eye, they were a disaster and allowed the Clippers back in it. Then once again, we saw them build a double-digit lead in the final 6 minutes, only to immediately let that go and nearly fully collapse if not for a James Harden miss at the buzzer. 

In other words

So I think that's where I am as of November 17th, 2025. This is a team that is both better than their record, but also deserves the record they have. Things are trending up, but the flaws still exist. They play hard as shit, but have an extremely small margin for error while they do it. We all know the context of the season, and so far the Celts seem to be threading that needle perfectly for either option. It's wild.

With that said, let's begin

The Good

 - This entire season, I've truly felt like when it comes to Payton Pritchard, there are a lot of people out there that have completely mischaracterized his performance as the starting point guard. They saw his horrific shooting slump and concluded that he was not fit for that role, despite all the other parts of being a point guard that Pritchard was excelling at. His AST/TO ratio is among the best in the league. He defends, he rebounds, he plays hard, the only thing he wasn't doing was hitting his open 3s. It was almost as if nobody had ever seen an NBA player have a shooting slump before. I found it bizarre. 

Well, guess who's snapping out of his shooting funk

I for one, am shocked that a career 39% shooter didn't forget how to shoot. I'm also happy to report this is not really just a one game thing. Over Payton's last 7 games, so half the NBA season, he's shooting 44.1% from deep. Pretty good!

Over that span, he's giving this team 18.1/3.7/4.4 on 48/44% splits with just 1.4 TOs a game. Yet still, you'll have people try and convince you he's not a starting-caliber player. I dunno, call me crazy, but 18/4 on great splits for the #3 option is pretty much exactly what I want the starting guard to be providing, but that's just me. 

Now, in the spirit of being honest, the teams during this run aren't all that great. You have UTA, WSH, ORL, PHI, MEM, LAC in that group, but the thing about that is you forget I don't really give a shit. Schedule talk? We're doing schedule talk? You play who you play. For a team that needs to dig itself out of its early season hole and for a player looking to bust out of his slump, I don't care who it's coming against. The job is to produce in your role, and that's what Pritchard has been doing. It's why I never want him to stop shooting even during a slump, because we have a big enough sample size to know what type of player and shooter Pritchard is. 

In a game like yesterday, they needed every one of his points. He's what helped take them to that higher level when they builkt their 24 point lead. All signs point to this version of Pritchard being who we're going to be getting, and not the guy who missed every wide open shot he took. What a difference that makes.

- And I would say the same thing about Derrick White. Just like Pritchard, we're starting to see DWhite snap out of his early season funk

In looking at that same 7 game sample, we're seeing water find its level with Derrick as well. A solid 17/4.3/6.9 with 1.4 TOs on 41/37% splits. He's now reached at least 20 points in 3 of his last 4 games, while shooting 41.2% from deep on 8.5 3PA. In other words, he's starting to return back to form.

Another case of a guy who has proven who he is as a shooter, not forgetting how to shoot. Turns out, Derrick White missing wide open 3PA had nothing to do with Jayson Tatum not being on the floor. He just….missed. Now? Now those open looks are starting to drop and you can tell with the way White is moving that his confidence is coming back. He doesn't look as dejected anymore, because finally the ball is going through the hoop.

While the shooting has been great to see again, what I also love is the playmaking leap we're seeing, especially recently. I'll take 34 AST / 8 TOs over his last 5 games, and you should too. Defensively, he's been as good as ever, and for a team that had a ton of defensive questions entering the season, I don't think that should be overlooked when talking about DWhite's season. His issue was the same as Payton's. They just couldn't make a shot. But if they are now getting back to their normal pslitds? Suddenly the Celts are an entirely different animal. You don't have to take my word for it, just listen to Ty Lue

- Throughout the season, there are going to be a variety of tests for Neemias Queta as he matches up with good opposing centers all across the league. They're good measuring stick moments, and so far it's felt like Queta more often than not has held his own, which is so awesome to see for a guy who was the 4th/5th big just last season.

In this game, it came against Ivica Zubac. A big bruising center with great touch and a monster on the glass. So how did Neemy do? He was right there every step of the way. I don't know if you want to say he outplayed Zubav (16/12), but he damn sure came close

We'll get to all the point blank misses this team had in a moment, but for now let's just take a second and appreciate the development of Neemias Queta. Not only is he holding his own against opposing centers, remember it wasn't too long ago he vastly outplayed Evan Mobley/Jarrett Allen, but his impact is becoming undeniable while on the floor

In a year that is essentially a tryout for a lot of these players, what Queta continues to tell us is that he continues to trend as someone who is ready to the be primary back up big on a team trying to win the title. That is HUGE. This isn't to say he doesn't have flaws or issues, but more to say he's taken his opportunity for a rotation spot and thrived in his role. The fouls, the late game rebounding, the finishing around the rim, that can all improve. But considering this was an end of the bench big this time last year, and now we're seeing him go blow for blow with starting centers across the league, I don't know how that couldn't excite you. 

- Always fun when the Celts never trail in a game. Largest lead of 24, a total of 0 lead changes and just 1 tie. As they continue to dig themselves out of their early season hole, we're starting to see games like this, and even though the Celts came VERY close to letting this one slip, technically they never fully blew it and trailed.

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Last time I checked, that's called progress!

- The thing about young player development is it can be unpredictable. Sometimes, things just click out of nowhere. To me, that's what we're seeing with Jordan Walsh. In his earlier appearances, it never felt like things were clicking for him at this level. He always had potential, but at some point you need to start turning that potential into production.

Now? This season? I don't know how he can stay off the floor.

What we are watching right now with Jordan Walsh is a completely different player compared to previous versions. The confidence, the understanding of what he has to do on the floor, it looks like things are starting to slow down for him which is making all the difference in the world.

Defensively, his versatility is intoxicating. He can guard Maxey, JJJ, Harden, Paolo, any and every archetype of player. Do you know how valuable that is? Especially for a team that DESPERATELY needs reserve wing help? What stands out in all of those matchups is how disciplined he's become as a defender. He's not biting for fakes, he's staying on the ground and using his length to make things hell for whoever he's guarding. Outside of some clear bullshit James Harden bailouts, I thought he did as good a job as you can at limiting his production.

Again, this is a 21 year old player. We needed to see multiple young unproven guys take a leap this season and prove they can be real players, and so far, since Joe has unleashed Jordan Walsh into the rotation, that's exactly what he's doing. 

- His fouling is still brutal, but I continue to be impressed with Luka Garza's contribution off the bench. 

Another 13/6 on 5-6 (2-2) in his 14 minutes, I'd argue he's starting to give you exactly what you need in terms of a reserve big. He plays hard, he's starting to knock down his open 3s, which does wonders for the spacing, and in the P&R, did you know he ranks in the 90th percentile as a roll man? That's literally what Kornet gave this team last year (87th percentile). His OREB rate continues to be elite, which is important for a team that can't really shoot right now.

I do find it fascinating that every time he fouls, it somehow always ends up being an AND1, but that's nitpicking. 

He definitely won the reserve center battle against Brook Lopez, and honestly this level from Garza has been pretty consistent over these last few games. A frustrating player at times, but also a player who is starting to get comfortable in his role and is taking advantage of his opportunity.

- For the most part, I thought Jaylen played well

33 points on 33 shots doesn't sound great, but a lot of those were smoked bunnies so I can live with it. It was great to see him active on the glass given the need, and he finished with only 1 TO in his 38 minutes, which I also appreciated.

Here's what I will say though. At times, it feels like this offensive burden is starting to show. It makes me a little nervous to be SO overreliant on midrange FGA, because at some point that efficiency will come down to earth. Just 1-7 on 3s and 3 missed FTAs, I wonder if we're about to see Jaylen get a rest day in this two-game set with the Nets. He hasn't missed a game yet and is carrying such a heavy offensive load, I worry about how much juice he has in those legs. An off day might do wonders for him.

The Bad

- If we want to talk prayers, this was a prayer

I'm with John. No idea why the Celts defended that final play that way, but sometimes the Basketball Gods give you a prayer when you need it most. I was CERTAIN that Harden shot was dropping and you know what? If it had, the Celts would have had nobody to blame but themselves.

- It may not have cost them in this game, but it almost did which shouldn't be ignored. Another game with the Celts once again having late game OREB/2nd chance points problems. I don't get it. They get to the 4th quarter and simply forget how to rebound, it's very fucking annoying.

In total, the Clippers finished with 22 2nd chance points. That, is not going to win you many games. Of their 14 games so far this season, I believe that's like the 5th or 6th time someone has had at least 20 2nd chance points. Clippers finished 8-10 on those shots, and we're at the point now where it's just always going to be an issue for this team. It doesn't matter who the solo big is on the floor, it's the same bullshit game after game after game.

- Another thing we're just going to have to accept is the Celts cannot defend without fouling. A final FTA difference of 30-17, and that doesn't even really tell the full story. It was like 20-4 midway through the 3rd quarter or some shit. And while some of that may be Harden foul baiting, the point remains that this team still lives at the bottom of the league in fouls and opponent FTA.

Every game, they're essentially spotting their opponent +10 points, just from FTs. I don't think there has been a single game this season in which the Celts won the FTA battle, and this is in a game in which 60% of their FGA were 2s! It hasn't seemed to matter what their approach is, whether it's high volume 3PA or low volume 3PA (39 yesterday), the Celtics are simply not getting the same whistle every other team in the NBA gets. It's maddening. 

- I wouldn't exactly call this a "good" defensive performance. A total of 3 quarters of allowing at least 30+ points, the Clippers put up 118 on 46/40% splits, got to the line 30 times and nearly dropped 70 total points in the 2nd half. We saw a 24 point lead get down to 3, then a double digit lead once again get down to 3 down the stretch.

Thankfully the shotmaking on the Celts side showed up, because the defensive execution we saw was nowhere near good enough outside of that 2nd quarter (19 points). Coming off 3 days rest, I found that to be a tad troubling. Unfortunately, it was mostly the 2nd unit, which saw Garza be a -14, Minott a -13, Simons a -1, and Hauser a -16 in their minutes. 

The Ugly

- Not really sure where else to put the performances of Simons/Hauser, who were both rather unplayable, but for different reasons. With Hauser, it was mostly around the fact that he's knee deep in a brutal shooting slump. He officially has whatever White/Pritchard had to start the season, and if his shot isn't falling it makes it tough to be on the floor (6 minutes played). The thing is, we know he's a lifetime 40% shooter, so you deal with it.

With Simons, he was mostly unplayable not just for the lack of shotmaking, but for an overall dogshit performance in terms fo energy/effort/execution. Defensively, it was mistake after mistake. Offensively, he was either pounding the ball for 20 seconds and missing a contested late clock FGA, or he was turning it over. I know there are some out there that want more Simons, but he has to show that he's playable in my opinion.

When his shot is falling? Yup. Ride that wave. But when we get performances like yesterday where he looks checked out? You can't play him. At this point in his career, he should know his situation. He's not a young rookie figuring things out. His role is to be a scorer off the bench and carry those lineups, and I didn't feel like we got any of that in this game.

- A DNP-CD for Hugo hurt. Credit to Baylor for earning those minutes with his defense, but I feel like whenever the Celts play at home, the crowd deserves Hugo minutes. It just felt like this game could have used his chaos at times, but it's a long season.

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I wanted to see how Hugo would handle guarding James Harden, but I guess we'll have to wait.

- For all the talk about 3P volume, nobody seems to say anything when the Celts potentially lose a game because they miss 10,000 layups. Just look at this paint production/rim production in the 4th quarter. Absolutely disgusting

Jaylen missing layups, Queta missing a TON of layups, Walsh missing layups. It was about as bad as it gets on shots that you would think would be automatic. Maybe for other teams sure, but definitely not this one.

Looking ahead, things are about to lighten up when it comes to the Celts schedule, so this is their chance to finally get over .500 for the first time this season. Two games against the Nets are up next, and then comes ORL/DET/MIN/CLE/NYK, so we're quickly approaching another fork in the road part of their schedule. A majority of these are at home, so we're going to get another opportunity to see just which version of this team they truly are.