The Boston Celtics are doing something this season that might make traditionalists raise an eyebrow - and yet, it’s working. Long known for their defensive discipline, especially when it comes to chasing shooters off the three-point line, the Celtics have flipped the script in 2026. They’re still defending with intensity, but now they’re doing it with a different blueprint - one that’s less about denying every look from deep and more about controlling which threes their opponents get.
Take Saturday night’s 132-106 blowout win over the Atlanta Hawks. On the surface, it looked like a classic Celtics performance - high energy, smart rotations, and a scoreboard that tilted heavily in their favor. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see the quiet evolution of their defensive philosophy playing out in real time.
Jaylen Brown, who’s been as much a tone-setter on defense as he is a force on offense, offered some insight after the win. “Night to night, every night could be different,” Brown said. “But it’s funny because the last few years we wanted to take away the 3s, and this year we allow 3s - at least above the break.”
That’s not just a tweak. That’s a foundational shift.
What Brown’s talking about is the Celtics’ willingness to concede certain three-point looks - particularly those above the break - in favor of locking down other, more dangerous areas. It’s a calculated risk. Instead of chasing every shooter around the arc and potentially scrambling their defense, Boston is trusting its personnel, trusting the scouting, and picking their battles.
It’s a dramatic departure from the past few seasons, when the Celtics were among the league leaders in opponent three-point attempts allowed - and not by accident. They were aggressive in their closeouts, disciplined in their switches, and committed to running teams off the line. But this year, there’s a new layer of nuance.
“(A) complete flip from last year and a lot in the previous years,” Brown continued. “But how do we do it? I think we just - night to night, we have a game plan.”
That’s the key. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all scheme.
It’s matchup-specific. The Celtics are tailoring their defensive approach based on who’s across from them.
If a team is loaded with elite corner shooters, Boston might close those out harder. If a team struggles to convert from above the break, those shots might be left open - not by accident, but by design.
It’s a strategy that requires trust. Trust in the coaching staff to craft the right game plan.
Trust in the players to execute it. And trust in the numbers - because this approach is rooted in analytics, knowing which shots are truly dangerous and which ones you can live with.
And so far? It’s paying off.
The Celtics aren’t just winning games - they’re dictating the terms of engagement. Even when opposing teams get hot from deep, Boston’s ability to neutralize primary scorers and force role players into uncomfortable positions has kept them in control.
“We do a good job of trying to prepare for each and every team,” Brown said. “And try to take away what they do best and their best players. We’ve had some success this season.”
That might be underselling it. The Celtics are playing chess while many teams are still playing checkers. They’re not just reacting to what offenses throw at them - they’re shaping the game with their own decisions, forcing opponents into a version of themselves that’s less efficient, less confident, and less likely to win.
It’s not always pretty, and it might leave fans scratching their heads when a below-average shooter knocks down a couple of open looks. But the big picture tells the story: Boston is betting on the math, betting on their discipline, and so far, they’re cashing in.