Boston Celtics: The Unlikely Underdogs Surpassing All Expectations

There have been many designations associated with the storied Boston Celtics franchise over the decades. All of these attachments were given, earned and deserved: champion, contender, enduring, persistent, consistent, etc., to name a few — they all explained the Celtics at various points. And now there’s a new entry: Underdogs? Yes, that in itself is surprising, much like the 26-15 Celtics so far. They’ve arrived here at the season’s midway point by ambushing their way through the schedule and surpassing reasonable expectations because, as you know, this was supposed to be a bridge year over troubled waters. Jayson Tatum, their Kia MVP candidate and All-NBA player, is still mending from an Achilles injury suffered last spring. With Tatum gone for an undetermined yet lengthy period of time, three crucial pieces from their 2024 championship team, Al Horford, Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday, were jettisoned last summer. It seemed like a way of waving the white flag before this season even started — and when it did, the Celtics opened with three straight losses. The message, whether intentional or not, was this: Let’s get through these 82 games, take some lumps, then regroup over the summer and get hyped for 2026-27. The Celtics were forced to make hasty adjustments. Bench players took vacant spots in the rotation and were placed in game situations they either rarely or never saw before. The lead singer’s microphone, which once belonged to Tatum, was given to the No. 2 guy, Jaylen Brown (who, likewise, was unproven in that role). And Joe Mazzulla, the coach whose strategies have been long debated within the basketball world – even as the Celtics were winning and competing for titles – he suddenly had the challenge of steering a makeshift team stuck in temporary transition. The Celtics are in second place, 4 1/2 games behind the East-leading Detroit Pistons, whom they play Monday (8 p.m. ET, NBC & Peacock). The rotation drips with players either overachieving or having career years, and that includes Brown, who finds himself thick in the Kia MVP chase. Their defense is keeping them in games, and their ability to limit mistakes is preventing them from beating themselves. New contributors to Celtics’ success They’re a tea m without much margin for error, and that margin, on a nightly basis, doesn’t seem to shrink much if at all, judging from the results. And that’s not only a salute to Mazzulla and his ability to enhance the strengths and mask the weaknesses of his players and put them in position to succeed, it’s also a credit to general manager Brad Stevens, who was patient with his young first-time coach while Mazzulla matured into the role. You could say Mazzulla, who’ll certainly get Coach of the Year attention, is currently doing what Stevens once did at Butler. This is a team that, aside from Brown and Derrick White — both accomplished players — is giving generous minutes to Peyton Pritchard (now a full-time starter), Neemias Queta, Sam Hauser, Luka Garza, Josh Minott and Jordan Walsh … and still winning. The Celtics are coming off a convincing 26-point romp in Atlanta with a starting lineup of Brown, White, Hauser, Queta and Baylor Scheierman. Hugo Gonzalez got 30 minutes off the bench (mostly in blowout time, but still). The Celtics’ first six or seven players are collectively timid on paper, yet making it work on the floor. Does any other team with a winning record have a less-imposing core group? Most important is Pritchard, formerly a valuable reserve. The Celtics have needed him to be a No. 2 option at times, and he has embraced the challenge. It wasn’t exactly a stretch for Pritchard, who previously had the green light coming off the bench. Except this time, with the higher volume (14 shots a night), his efficiency hasn’t suffered much (45%) if at all. Hauser had 30 points against the Hawks, on 10 made 3-pointers. After arriving in Portland, Anfernee Simons is giving roughly as much offensively as Holiday. Queta replaced the departed Porzingis and Horford in the middle and is averaging eight rebounds. He has started 39 games after starting just six in his previous four seasons. Again, these players are reaching their own next level without being reckless. The Celtics average the fewest turnovers in the league while allowing the third-fewest points. Not only is this unexpected, it’s astonishing, all things considered. “At the halfway mark is a perfect time to reflect on everything about our season and the amount of growth we’ve had,” said Brown. “I’ve enjoyed being with this group, I’ve enjoyed playing with the young guys, help with their learning curve. It’s been a joy. I’m looking forward to the next part of the season. We still have some work to do.” Brown’s game grows again Aside from expanding his leadership, which is considerable on a team with multiple teammates who hadn’t been tested until now, the growth in Brown’s offensive game is what separates this season from his others. Without Tatum around, Brown remains locked in attack mode, realizing that Boston needs him to score, both big and often, to have the best chance of winning. He had 41 points in 29 minutes against the Hawks and 50 points three weeks ago against the Clippers. Only Luka Dončić and Anthony Edwards have more 40-point games. He’s averaging career-highs in points and assists and doing it efficiently; Brown is making half his shots while taking just over 22 per night. “I was discouraged from taking mid-range shots at different points in my career,” he said. “I’ve been literally told not to. Now it’s like `Jaylen you can take whatever shot you want.’ I’m like, sure. I’ve been shooting as many mid-ranges as I can get up. At different points in my career that hasn’t been the case.” He added: “We love analytics in Boston. We’ve added a more analytical approach on how we play. The way I play doesn’t jump off the charts analytically to some degree. I can see why some people might think that me put in this role, we wouldn’t be successful. But there’s more than meets the eye. I’ve just been playing my game. I play off rhythm, I play off feel, I play off what I see. Sometimes that doesn’t show up on analytics.” It shows up on the court, and that’s all that matters. Brown is the rare player who made a significant jump this late in a career (Brown is in his 10th season). At that stage, most players have already reached their ceiling, their peak. Because of Tatum’s absence, Brown was forced to smash through his ceiling and start beasting. “I just come out play hard and maximize my team’s potential from a leadership standpoint and be as aggressive as I can every time I touch the ball,” he said. “And just be poised and poised and see where that takes me.” Tatum question looms All that said, whether the Celtics can maximize this surprising start depends on the obvious: Will Tatum return this season? There are no heavy indications he will or won’t, just conjecture and, in Boston, hope. If he doesn’t, then the Celtics will be a star shy against most of the better teams in the East, and Boston’s overachieving role players could be exposed in a seven-game series. That’s just basketball logic. If he does return, then it almost has to be well before the playoffs begin, perhaps in March. Here’s why: Tatum will require a minutes restriction and a chance to ramp up. Teams don’t throw players, especially superstars, with those injuries into the heat of playoff intensity and ask them to burn 35 minutes a night after missing so much time, essentially going from 0-to-60 miles per hour. If Tatum returns not only to the season but to form, it would cause an abrupt East shake-up. Because: There’s no super team in the conference; all of the contenders have flaws or else Boston wouldn’t be in such a prime position in the standings right now. That’s a topic for when and if Tatum suits up. In the meantime, the upcoming schedule is favorable. After Tuesday, the Celtics’ next eight games are against teams with losing records, and five are at home. Which means Boston has a chance to maintain this pace heading into the All-Star break, or threaten to move into first place, which would be the surprise of the NBA season. “There are some things you want to be better at,” said Mazzulla, about being 11 games above .500 after 41 games. Perhaps, yet at this stage, the Celtics are feeling frisky. They’re clearly defying basketball norms and showing few signs of returning to Earth. Plus, there’s a chance they can go turbo because of Tatum. As good as things are now in Boston, they can get better. “I didn’t really have an expectation in terms of us being the first seed or whatever, given all these guys that are no longer with us,” said Brown. “It was just come out and compete and play hard. And that’s what we’ve been doing. “This is where you have to be sharp, be firm with the ball and execute. That can be the difference between you winning and losing games. I’m focused on that. We’re focused on that. We’re the second seed and still have a lot of room to grow.” * * *