It's one they've held or circled around in recent years, sitting atop the Eastern Conference. At 17-5, the Celtics are also tied with a surprise entrant in Minnesota Timberwolves) for the best record in the NBA.
Roughly ten days out from Christmas and with the calendar year coming to a close, Boston can use a dose of sustainability, drops of health, and a shot of depth to keep them going until January.
The Celtics have done about everything asked of them in the season's first quarter, except for winning the NBA's first in-season tournament. Personally, I had little invested in this tournament, other than the Celtics winning more games than losing. And I certainly didn't care enough where I think the winning team should be hanging in banners in their arena celebrating the fact. But to each their own in enjoying success where they can.
Fresh faces have gelled well with the old guard of the Celtics. Boston and head coach Joe Mazzulla have found ways to keep the stars happy and minutes/games regulated. Though an early injury to Kristaps Porzingis, who has missed five games, provided some concern, the big man has bounced back nicely.
Porzingis is averaging 19.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, along with 1.6 blocks. His presence has taken Boston's interior up a notch.
Four of Boston's five losses have come against teams a combined 34 games over .500. The outlier is a perplexing three-point loss to Charlotte. But, in recent years, there'd be more than a handful of these types of losses and so far, the Celtics have limited it to one.
Already this season the Celtics are 3-0 against the Knicks, 2-0 against Brooklyn, 2-1 versus the Philadelphia 76ers, and defeated the Bucks in the teams' only meeting so far. And while they have been buoyed by six starters, essentially, two have stood out.
Jayson Tatum and Derrick White: Team MVPs
Two players going above and beyond have elevated the Boston Celtics so far in '23-24. Both could easily be considered team MVPs, with one on track to be in the running for one come season's end.
Jayson Tatum has been on a steady course in becoming one of the best players in the league. The talk around him has always been there but through 22 games this season, the seventh-year pro is on another level.
Points have gone from last season, from 30 to 27.4, and three-point percentage (34.9) is currently the lowest of his career. But his field goal percent (49.1) ranks as his best, and Tatum is finding more consistently across the board.
Tatum has 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, along with one steal on average. He has posted nine double-doubles, roughly one every two games or so, and only twice this season has failed to reach the 20-point mark.
Playing in 22 games this season, Tatum had his best outing in the loss to Charlotte, posting 45 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists.
White, too, has been filling up the box score in taking the reins of floor general. Also in his seventh season, White has been putting up career-best numbers. He's averaging 15.5 points and 5.1 assists and shooting the ball well from the field (48.2 percent) and beyond the arc (42.5 percent).
White is also a valued leader and has leveled up on the defensive end, helping fill the intense and energetic void left by Marcus Smart. Or, perhaps it's just noticeable now in the open with Smart gone. I've always appreciated White's tenacity on 'D', where this season he's averaging 1.1 steals and nearly a blocked shot per game.
One of White's best performances was a recent victory over the Knicks, where he knocked down six threes on route to 30 points.
Early season surprises off the bench include Sam Hauser but I do think more depth is needed as the season wears on. Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and Al Horford have formed a nice trio off the bench but more consistency from a handful of other players is needed. (And I do think Jordan Walsh and JD Davison will be contributors at some point in '23-24).
Upcoming schedule
After bowing out with a loss to the Indiana Pacers in the quarterfinals of the in-season tournament, the Celtics have picked up a couple of wins. They have a pretty heavy load in the coming days, including an upcoming stretch at home.
Cleveland is up first, followed by two games with Orlando. Against the Magic, the Celtics will hope to avenge one of their only losses this season. This was a 17-point humdinger where Boston was missing Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown suffered through a 6-22 effort from the floor.
Then, Boston embarks on their first west coast trip of the season. Four straight (and five total) await the Celtics, with a Christmas Day game against the Los Angeles Lakers circled.
The fifth road game of the final day games in 2023 for the Celtics is a New Year's Eve meeting with the lowly San Antonio Spurs, currently 3-20.
With the in-season tournament fully in the rearview, the Celtics can hand over full concentration to finishing the first-half of the season strong. A healthy, locked in team should go at least 8-2 or 7-3 in the coming weeks. Surprises, including the Magic, have made the Eastern Conference even more competitive than initially thought. The Bucks and 76ers loom, the Heat are always dangerous, and the Pacers and Knicks can both get hot.
For now, though, Boston can enjoy being on top, with the hope success can be sustained in keeping the goal of banner no. 18 remaining firmly in sight.
photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
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