The Celtics are 4-1 and riding a four-game winning streak, but the numbers underneath that record tell a different story. Boston has cleaned up after a rough opening night loss in Detroit and swept its homestand, yet the margin game that fueled last season’s success has not shown up the way it was supposed to.
Last year, Joe Mazzulla’s team built its identity around squeezing every edge it could find. The Celtics won 56 games and grabbed the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference by owning the possession battle, turning small advantages into a nightly habit.
That approach was supposed to be even stronger this season after Boston moved on from Jaylen Brown in favor of fewer turnovers, more forced turnovers, and sharper shot selection with Paul George. The addition of Mitchell Robinson was also expected to give the Celtics even more punch on the glass.
Instead, through five games, Boston has been ordinary in the areas it was built to dominate.
The Celtics are 10th in three-point attempts and sixth in makes. They sit 19th in rebounding, 22nd on the defensive glass and 15th on the offensive end.
In turnovers, they’re 14th in the league. That’s a far cry from last season, when Boston ranked fourth in three-point attempts, third in makes, third in rebounding, seventh in both offensive and defensive rebounds, and first in the NBA in turnovers thanks to elite ball security.
That gap showed up again Friday night against the Bulls. Boston won by 14, but Chicago beat them on the boards, including a 20-9 edge in offensive rebounds. The Bulls also shot 15-for-50 from three, while the Celtics finished 10-for-32.
For a team that is fully healthy, that kind of profile is hard to ignore. The Celtics have been good enough to start the year 4-1, but the underlying numbers suggest there’s real room for concern if those margins don’t tighten up.
The competition is only going to get better, and opponents will keep adjusting to what Boston wants to do offensively. If the Celtics are going to look like a true contender, they’ll need those little advantages back.
There is one area where the new-look approach has already paid off: forcing turnovers. Boston is generating 18.4 turnovers per game, which ranks fourth in the league. That’s a major jump for a team that hasn’t usually lived in that space.
If that number holds, and if the Celtics can pair it with better ball security, more outside shots, and a cleaner answer on the glass, the offseason vision starts to come into focus. For now, though, the early returns are a reminder that the margin machine hasn’t fully kicked into gear yet.
In Other News...
Jayson Tatums Regret Adds To Celtics Questions About Loyalty
The Celtics relationship with Jaylen Brown has been under a microscope ever since the trade chatter started swirling around him, and a new layer has only made the old questions louder. According to NBA writer Chris Mannix, Jayson Tatum later looked back on that period and regretted not being more publicly supportive of Brown while the rumors were building, a detail that adds some texture to a partnership that has long been judged as much by body language as by box scores.
Browns move to the 76ers changed the conversation around Bostons core, especially after a stretch in which the Celtics were also tied to other big-name speculation. Tatums silence, or apparent lack of awareness, during the rumor mill now sits awkwardly beside the public comments both players have made since, leaving the impression that the bond between Bostons two stars was not as straightforward as it once seemed. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Is Showing A Celtics Shift Fans Will Notice
Jayson Tatums early-season scoring has come with a different kind of pressure on opposing defenses, and it has shown up at the line. In the opening stretch of the 2026-27 season, he became the first Celtics player since Paul Pierce in 2008 to attempt at least 54 free throws over a four-game span, a sign that Bostons offense is leaning into the kind of downhill aggression that can change how games are played late.
That trend was on display again against Orlando, where Tatum poured in 32 points, handed out seven assists and kept the Celtics rolling with a strong night at the stripe in Bostons fifth straight win. Pierce also weighed in recently on the teams competitiveness and the Eastern Conference race, adding another layer to a start that has the Celtics looking like a group that can win in more than one way. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Mazzulla Loved What Jayson Tatum Did In Celtics Win
Jayson Tatum kept the Celtics steady in their 108-97 win over the Magic, putting together a night that mixed scoring, playmaking and control. He finished with 32 points, four rebounds and seven assists, and even with an 8-of-19 shooting line from the field, he kept finding ways to put pressure on Orlando and give Boston the kind of half-court presence it needed.
Afterward, Joe Mazzulla singled out Tatums poise and aggressiveness, clearly pleased with the way his star attacked the game. The free-throw line was a big part of that edge, and it fit with the broader theme of Tatum dictating the action rather than waiting for it to come to him. For a Celtics team looking for that kind of assertive rhythm, it was the sort of performance that stood out beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]