The NBA’s injury mess has already swallowed up plenty of teams, and the Oklahoma City Thunder - the consensus title pick - have been hit so hard it’s reached the point of absurdity. Boston, by comparison, has mostly avoided the carnage.
Devin Carter has been sidelined with mono, but that’s an illness rather than an injury, and he isn’t near the top of the rotation anyway. Ron Harper Jr. has dealt with a troublesome shoulder, though Boston hasn’t really leaned on him yet. Outside of those situations, the Celtics have started the season relatively clean.
That kind of luck rarely lasts forever. With the way the league has opened, it feels like Boston is eventually going to get caught by the same wave. And when that happens, the Celtics may be better prepared than most.
Trading for Paul George and signing Mitchell Robinson also brought in two players who, based on their track records, are expected to miss time. Boston understood that risk when it made those moves. Nobody is hoping for injuries, but it’s hard to believe either player will stay on the floor for the entire season.
The reason Boston can absorb that kind of hit is simple: the roster is built for it.
Last season offered the clearest proof, when the Celtics managed just fine without Jayson Tatum. Jaylen Brown’s production was a huge part of that, but it wasn’t the whole story. Boston succeeded because the group around him kept delivering.
That’s a very different setup from what Paul Pierce had two decades ago, when he put up big numbers on a much weaker team that still ended up being, surprise, surprise, a pretty bad team.
Boston’s edge is depth, structure, and a “next man up” approach that has been in place since Joe Mazzulla first took over. The ideal scenario is obvious: stay healthy from start to finish.
But that’s not how the NBA usually works. Injuries are coming for everyone eventually.
When they do show up in Boston, the Celtics have already shown they know how to handle them.
In Other News...
Payton Pritchard Is Giving The Celtics More Than Just Scoring
Early in the season, Joe Mazzulla pushed Payton Pritchard to bring more to the Celtics than shot-making, and the guard has clearly taken the message to heart. In Bostons recent NBA Cup game against the Chicago Bulls, Pritchard paired his usual scoring punch with a noticeably sharper edge on the defensive end, showing the kind of activity that can help him stay on the floor in bigger moments.
Pritchard has said he wants to add more on-ball pressure and rebound better, and Mazzulla was encouraged enough by the showing to point to even more room for growth. For a Celtics team that already leans on Pritchards offense, the appeal is obvious if he can keep turning those defensive habits into something steady rather than occasional. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Is Driving A Celtics Change That Could Matter In May
Bostons defense has looked noticeably more disruptive early on, with the ball pressure and activity level showing up in ways that go beyond the usual opening-month noise. The Celtics are getting into passing lanes, swiping at dribbles and turning stops into chances to run, a shift that has given the group a different kind of edge while also cutting down on second-chance looks at the other end.
Paul George has been right at the center of that change, bringing the kind of defensive playmaking that can swing possessions before a set offense ever gets started. His rebounding has helped finish possessions, too, and if this level of aggressiveness holds, it could give Boston a useful wrinkle when the games tighten and the margins shrink later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Hit Another Low After Celtics Loss As Frustration Boils Over
The opening night of the 2026 NBA Cup had no shortage of eye-catching moments around the league, from Stephen Curry leading the Warriors back from a big first-quarter hole against the Lakers to Kevin Durant throwing down a highlight dunk for the Rockets. But from the Celtics' perspective, one of the cleaner results came in Chicago, where Boston handled the Bulls and kept a team already searching for answers mired in the same defensive trouble that has followed them through the start of the season.
For Chicago, the loss only deepened the sense of unease around a team that has struggled to find any traction early. The Bulls have been giving up points in bunches, and the frustration around that slide is starting to show in public. Caleb Wilson did not hide how he feels after the game, underscoring just how raw the mood has become as the Bulls try to stop the bleeding. [Read more 🡒]