The Celtics’ offense keeps rolling, and the usual explanation only tells part of the story.
Yes, Boston can still hurt teams with shooting. Yes, the ball movement is crisp. But this season’s version of the attack is showing something a little different, and it was Bulls coach Tiago Splitter who put his finger on it after Chicago got beaten for the second time this week in TD Garden.
“Boston is one of the best teams in the league off the ball. It’s impressive how they play all those flare situations.
It’s really difficult to be aware of the flares that are coming. … They have a bunch of shooters that can come off those off screens, and then at the same time, you have Tatum iso’d in the top, and he could drive the ball anytime.
… So it’s a really difficult team to guard.”
That’s the heart of it. Boston isn’t just waiting around for a clean on-ball action to get started.
The Celtics are constantly moving, constantly forcing defenders to chase, and constantly creating problems away from the ball. That motion is what makes the whole thing hum.
Through five games, that off-ball work has been the most striking part of the offense. The shooters are spaced properly, the cuts are sharp, and the passing has been quick enough to punish even small mistakes.
The result is more than just open threes. It’s also driving lanes, paint touches, easy finishes, and trips to the line.
Splitter’s point about Tatum matters, but Boston has been doing this with him on the ball and off it. The key is that nobody is just standing still and waiting for the next action. The Celtics keep running stuff, keep moving bodies, and keep making defenders make choices they don’t want to make.
That’s why the offense has been so hard to stop even without the team lighting it up from deep or dominating the offensive glass. Boston is still third in the NBA in points per game and fourth in offensive rating, and it’s doing it with a wrinkle that makes the whole thing feel even more dangerous.
Brad Stevens talked all offseason about the need for rim pressure, and the way Boston is getting it now is a little different than what people may have expected. The personnel changes didn’t scream that this was the path, but the tweak in style has made it happen anyway.
It also helps that the Celtics are built around high-IQ players who can read the floor quickly and make the right play. They may not look like a roster loaded with elite downhill creators on paper, but they’re executing the system with precision. That’s what makes the offense so tough to handle right now.
And if the three-pointers start falling at a higher clip on top of all that, the rest of the league is going to have an even bigger problem on its hands.
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 🡒]