The Celtics got a favorable break when the NBA schedule dropped, and at least on paper, they’ve got the kind of setup that should help them stack wins in the Eastern Conference.
According to Tankathon’s strength-of-schedule page, Boston enters the season with the easiest schedule among the East’s 15 teams. That’s the headline number after the league released the full schedule last week and everyone started breaking down who got a clean path and who drew the rough end of it.
That said, the Celtics still need to do the work. A soft schedule doesn’t score points by itself, and the source notes they’ll have to show up with their best brand of basketball every night. But relative to the rest of the conference, they did not get handed a brutal road.
The contrast is pretty stark at the top of the East’s toughest-schedule list. The Nets, Bucks and Bulls sit there with the hardest slates heading into the season.
Boston’s ranking also tells the bigger story: even with the easiest path in the East, the Celtics are only 24th overall in the league in terms of hardest strength of schedule. In other words, there are six Western Conference teams with easier schedules, including the Lakers, Rockets, Nuggets, Warriors, Thunder and Spurs.
Of course, all of this can shift once the season gets rolling and the numbers start reflecting how teams actually look on the floor. But right now, based on the schedule release and Tankathon’s early read, the Celtics have a clear scheduling advantage - one that leaves them with no excuse not to finish high in the East.
In Other News...
Payton Pritchards Jaylen Brown Reaction Says A Lot About Bostons Next Step
Payton Pritchard did not spend much time dwelling on Jaylen Browns move to Philadelphia, at least not publicly. Speaking after the trade, the Celtics guard framed it the way players often do when the business side of the league lands hardest: as part of the job, and as another chance to absorb what a teammate like Brown taught him along the way. Pritchard also said the teams group chat has not turned into a postmortem on the deal, which is usually a sign that the roster is already shifting its attention to the next phase.
That next phase arrives quickly, with Boston set to open preseason against the Cavaliers on Oct. 8 before hosting the 76ers two days later. Pritchards focus on his own game fits the moment, because the Celtics are about to find out what their new shape looks like in real time, and one of the first chances to measure it will come against Brown in a Philadelphia uniform. The early days of camp and preseason tend to reveal what a team is ready to say out loud and what it is still sorting through quietly. [Read more 🡒]
Payton Pritchards Celtics Reaction Says Plenty About Bostons New Reality
Chris Cenacs arrival at No. 27 gave the Celtics another young piece to think about, and his college coach, Kelvin Sampson, made the fit sound pretty straightforward. Boston also has a lot more going on around the edges of the roster, with owner Bill Chisholm saying there are no immediate plans for a new arena and veteran point guard Mike Conley already sounding energized about landing in the mix.
Still, the clearest window into where things stand may have come from Payton Pritchard, whose reaction to Jaylen Browns move to Philadelphia said plenty about how different this version of the Celtics feels. Between a fresh draft pick, a veteran addition, and the franchises long-term building questions, Boston is entering a stretch where almost every comment seems to hint at a bigger reset still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Payton Pritchard Could Gain Something Huge From Mike Conley
Payton Pritchard has already grown into an important part of Bostons rotation, but the Celtics summer moves suggest there is still room for him to sharpen the finer points of running an offense. After trading Jaylen Brown, the front office went into the offseason looking to build a better support system around Jayson Tatum and Paul George, and the addition of Mike Conley Jr. fits neatly into that plan. Conley brings the kind of veteran steadiness and point guard know-how that can help a player like Pritchard keep expanding his game.
For Boston, this is about more than just filling out the depth chart. Conley is expected to provide leadership and mentorship to younger players, and Pritchard stands out as one of the clearest beneficiaries because of how much he can still absorb about the position. The Celtics do not need him to become a different player, but if Conley can help him see the floor a little better and manage the offense with more control, that is the sort of quiet upgrade that can matter once the games get tight. [Read more 🡒]