The Celtics have spent the early part of the preseason making one thing very clear: they’re going to punish teams on the glass.
Boston already has plenty of obvious identity markers - Jayson Tatum, the heavy three-point diet, the deep rotation, the unconventional coaching style - but the most important one this season may be the one that doesn’t always grab the spotlight. The Celtics are leaning hard into rebounding, and not just as a cleanup job. It’s becoming the engine that tilts games in their favor.
That wasn’t the case last season. Rebounding was widely viewed as a weakness, especially with Tatum injured and several big men gone through trades and free agency. But Joe Mazzulla and his staff found something they could build on, made a point of attacking the glass, and turned that area into a real advantage, particularly on offense.
They doubled down in the offseason. Boston brought in Mitchell Robinson, one of the league’s best offensive rebounders, and gave more minutes to young wings who crash the boards with abandon. The result is a roster that looks fully committed to Mazzulla’s vision, and so far it’s paying off.
Through two preseason games, the numbers have been lopsided. The Celtics have outrebounded opponents by 55 combined boards.
Against the Cavaliers in the opener, Boston won the rebounding battle 71-46 and owned the offensive glass 21-6. Then on Saturday, with a different set of personnel, the Celtics did it again, smashing Philadelphia on the boards 71-41 while holding a 19-7 edge in offensive rebounds.
It’s still preseason, so those margins aren’t likely to hold at that extreme level over an entire year. But the message is already unmistakable. Boston wants to squeeze every possession it can, and if it keeps winning that battle, it can make games feel out of reach fast.
That kind of edge can wear opponents down over the course of the regular season. Teams will have to adjust to the way Boston plays, and if they don’t, the Celtics can make things ugly in a hurry. That’s the bet Mazzulla is making, and so far, it looks like a smart one.
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Tatum And Brown Reunion Reopened An Awkward Celtics Breakup
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown found themselves on opposite sides for the first time in a preseason game, a reunion that carried more tension than nostalgia for two players who spent years as the Celtics defining duo. The matchup came after Brown was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, a move that reshaped Bostons long-running core and left plenty of questions about how the breakup came together.
Before the game, the two did not speak during warmups, a small detail that said plenty about the awkwardness surrounding the split. The Celtics have moved on to a new chapter, but the reason behind trading Brown still is not clear, and the status of his relationship with Tatum only adds to the intrigue whenever their paths cross again. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Are Already Sorting Out One Big Jayson Tatum Question
Jayson Tatum is expected to be right where the Celtics need him on opening night, anchoring a reshaped starting group as Boston sorts through the lineup combinations that fit best around him. With Paul George and Derrick White projected to join him, the early question is less about Tatums place and more about which supporting pieces help the Celtics make the most of a roster that has changed this season.
Boston has already begun testing those options in camp, using players such as Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Walsh to see how different looks function with Tatum as the focal point. The coaching staff is still evaluating what the best balance looks like, and the experiments so far have made clear that the final answer around Tatum is still very much being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Just Sent Celtics Fans A Clear Jayson Tatum Message
Jayson Tatums next chapter in Boston is already drawing a different kind of partner than the one he had with Jaylen Brown. Brown and Tatum spent years carrying the Celtics as co-stars, with a competitive edge that often defined how the team was viewed, but Paul George is signaling a cleaner fit for what comes next after being traded to Boston in the Brown deal.
George has made it clear he does not want the spotlight framed as a two-man race, and that matters for how this partnership could be judged in Boston. Rather than chasing the label of the guy, he wants to complement Tatum and help push him into a higher conversation, which tells Celtics fans a lot about the tone George wants to set before the season even starts. [Read more 🡒]