The Celtics’ fast start has them sitting at 3-1 and tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference, but the early chatter around Boston isn’t just about the wins. The bigger storyline from around the league is what Joe Mazzulla is doing with his starting lineup, and whether the pieces are settling in the right way.
Boston has already recovered from its season-opening collapse against Detroit, when it blew a 22-point lead. Since then, the Celtics have put together three straight wins, with late-game takeaways against the Knicks and Nets giving the early season a much cleaner look.
Still, the power-rankings picture is a mixed bag. Some outlets see a top-tier team, while others are holding back because of the questions still hanging over Boston’s new look.
ESPN slotted the Celtics at No. 8, down from No. 6, and pointed directly to Mazzulla’s choice to start Jordan Walsh as the most surprising early development. The outlet noted: " Starting Walsh, a rotational player who started 25 games last season, came as a bit of a surprise with veterans such as Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard on the roster. But so far, Walsh's defense has buoyed the Celtics early in the season, slowing down guards including the Knicks' Jalen Brunson (2-for-7, five points against Walsh) and the Pistons' Cade Cunningham (1-for-3, three points against Walsh), according to NBA.com."
USA TODAY also had Boston at No. 8, though it moved the Celtics up two spots. Its read was more optimistic, citing Boston’s shooting touch and the fact that the roster is still sorting itself out: "There has been plenty of good - Boston entered Tuesday night as the best 3-point shooting team, at a blistering 42.4% - and the Celtics are still incorporating some new faces, so they should only get better from here on out."
CBS Sports stayed higher on Boston, keeping the Celtics at No. 6.
That ranking leaned heavily on the way the team has closed games after the opening-night stumble. "Boston let a 22-point lead evaporate against Detroit in its opener, but has recovered with three straight wins.
Jayson Tatum hit the Knicks with three straight dagger jumpers to close that one out before sinking a buzzer-beater against the Nets on Tuesday. Paul George looks great."
The Athletic was the most skeptical of the bunch, dropping the Celtics five spots to No. 11 in a ranking published on Oct. 26, before Boston’s wins over Chicago and Brooklyn. Its main concern centered on Mitchell Robinson’s role in the starting group.
"Robinson has as many fouls (seven) as rebounds in his 41 minutes to start the season, and the Celtics have been outscored by 10 points in those minutes. Neemias Queta is the better player, and I would not be surprised if the minutes reflect that as the season progresses."
NBA.com also moved Boston down, dropping the Celtics from No. 5 to No. 8.
Its concerns were broader, focusing on free throw rate, paint scoring and rebounding. "They’re also one of three teams in the bottom five in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage, with Mitchell Robinson yet to make a big impact on the glass.
Neemias Queta played a few more minutes off the bench than Robinson did as a starter over the two games and was on the floor in clutch time both nights."
In Other News...
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The performance also pushed Tatum deeper into the Celtics record book, where he added more franchise marks tied to scoring, playmaking and efficiency. Paul George, meanwhile, also left his mark by setting a Celtics record for steals per game, but the lasting image from this one was Tatum taking control when the game was hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Mitchell Robinson Sparks Tense Celtics Flashpoint In Tight Nets Battle
A tense moment briefly overtook TD Garden in the first half when Celtics center Mitchell Robinson got into a verbal exchange that pulled players and coaches toward the Nets bench. The back-and-forth gave an otherwise tight game a jolt, and Robinson was already having a solid first-half impact with seven points and three rebounds by halftime.
The incident also came with a technical foul for Robinson, adding another layer to a game that already had a competitive edge to it. Boston carried an 86-82 lead into the fourth quarter, with the kind of playoff-style friction that can linger as the game gets late. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Have A Payton Pritchard Debate That Could Grow Fast
Payton Pritchard has settled into the kind of role that has become valuable to the Celtics in recent years, coming off the bench as a spark and helping drive the offense in the minutes that often decide games. He was a key part of Bostons 2024 title run, then followed that by winning Sixth Man of the Year the next season, which only sharpened the conversation around how much the Celtics should be using him.
Joe Mazzulla appears content to keep Pritchard in that sixth-man lane, with Jordan Walsh getting the start instead, but the debate is starting to bubble up for a reason. When the Celtics are short-handed, there is a clear case for giving Pritchard more runway with the first group, and his shot creation has become too important to treat as a luxury no matter where he enters the game. [Read more 🡒]