A lot of the attention around Boston’s new defensive look has centered on the pressure it creates and the turnovers it forces. But the bigger story through nine games is how completely the Celtics have taken away star scorers.
They still haven’t allowed a player to crack 30 points this season. The high mark against them is 27, which Michael Porter Jr. reached in overtime. Even more striking, Boston has held opponents under 25 points from a single player in seven of its games.
In a league where scoring keeps climbing, that kind of number jumps off the page. The schedule has not exactly been loaded with the toughest possible test every night, but the Celtics have still run into Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, and others - and those names have not broken through against Boston’s defense.
The formula has been clear. Boston is crowding ball-handlers, pressing up on the perimeter, and pinching in to keep drivers out of the lane. That has pushed opponents into tougher looks and forced more attempts from outside.
The individual matchups have mattered just as much as the scheme. Joe Mazzulla has opened every game with either Jordan Walsh or Hugo Gonzalez, and often at least one of them, or Baylor Scheierman, has been on the court. That group has done the dirty work at the point of attack, making life miserable for the other team’s best scorers and forcing contested shots possession after possession.
Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White have also been part of the effort, while the bigs have helped protect the rim and discourage drives, especially Neemias Queta.
No one should assume this pace will hold for the entire season. But the start has been real, and it has been too consistent to dismiss as luck. Boston’s defense is getting buy-in from the coaching staff down through the roster, and so far the execution has been sharp from top to bottom.
The Celtics also have the kind of personnel that lets them keep throwing fresh defenders at elite scorers. That matters.
But the approach itself deserves plenty of credit, too. Mazzulla and his staff have put their players in position to succeed, and the results have shown it.
In Other News...
Celtics Injury Scare Faded Fast But One Bigger Concern Still Looms
Payton Pritchards latest scare turned out to be brief, which was a relief for a Celtics team that cant afford many more health detours. After leaving a recent game because a right eye abrasion was affecting his vision, he was back in uniform for the next one, and he also spoke about a right shoulder contusion while reflecting on how the team has been progressing this season.
The bigger picture, though, still runs through Jayson Tatum. He is continuing his gradual recovery from an Achilles injury and has been taking occasional rest nights as part of that process, a reminder that Bostons long-term plans are still being shaped by his return timeline. For all the smaller bumps and bruises, the Celtics are still navigating the more important question of how quickly their star can move from rehab mode back toward being himself. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Frontcourt Suddenly Has A Bucks Game Concern
The Celtics frontcourt got a little murkier heading into their matchup with the Bucks, with Mitchell Robinson now on the injury report and his availability hanging in the balance. Robinson has been a part of Bostons rotation in the early going, appearing in eight games this season while providing the kind of rebounding and interior presence the Celtics can use in a tight Eastern Conference test.
His status is being treated as a game-time call, with the team likely waiting until closer to tipoff and pregame warmups to make a final determination. For a Celtics group that has leaned on depth up front, the uncertainty is worth watching, especially with Milwaukee bringing the kind of size and physicality that can expose any late lineup changes. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Wing Battle Is Creating An Early Roster Debate
Early in the season, the Celtics have already been sorting through a familiar kind of problem on the wing: who fits, who finishes, and who can hold up on both ends. Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman and Sam Hauser have all gotten looks in the rotation, giving Boston a small but meaningful early sample of how the depth chart might shake out as the schedule settles in.
Scheierman has made the strongest case among the younger options with his offensive production, while Hauser remains the most secure piece thanks to his shooting and defensive reliability. Walsh and Gonzalez have shown flashes on defense, but their offensive inconsistency has kept the conversation open, and that leaves Boston with an early roster debate that could keep evolving well beyond the opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]