Reviewing the 2026 Celtics through 10 games
We are 10 games into the 2025-2026 season, and the Celtics currently stand at 4-6, good for the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference.
So far, the Celtics have played around expectations. This was not a championship roster, and most people saw this team as a play-in team that could sneak into the playoffs in a weak conference.
Some players, however, have exceeded or fallen below expectations. Jaylen Brown is someone who has exceeded expectations, averaging 28 points on 53% shooting. Brown has been the engine for the Celtics so far this season.
Derrick White, on the other hand, has not lived up to expectations, averaging 14 points on a career-worst 33% from the floor and 26% from three. White has seen a drastic increase in his role offensively and has struggled in it so far.
One of the biggest stories of the season for the Celtics has been Josh Minott. In his 3 years with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he never started a game and averaged just 5 minutes per game. In 2025, that has not been the case. Minott has started 7 of the 9 games he has played, while averaging 9 points and 6 rebounds. He makes all the hustle plays while being a play finisher inside the paint.
Anfernee Simons was the team's big acquisition in the offseason and has played around expectations. Simons is averaging 14 points while shooting 42% from the field and 39% from three. When Simons was brought in, his role was to be a scorer off of the bench, and so far that is what he has done.
The biggest concern for the Celtics heading into the season was the center position. With Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet all leaving in free agency, the center position quickly went from a strength to a weakness.
Neemias Queta has played well in his starting role so far, averaging 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. The other centers have not played up to par this season. Luka Garza and Chris Boucher have been awful to begin the season, making it extremely difficult for the rest of the team to operate.
Key stats
On the offensive side of the ball, things have been up and down. The Celtics rank 23rd in points per game at 113. They are taking the 3rd most shots and the most three-point attempts, but both rank in the bottom 7 in percentages.
Free throws have been a big problem, shooting the least amount of free throws while also being 18th in free throw percentage. The Celtics have taken far more mid-range shots than in years past, so there are very few attempts taken at the rim to get easy foul calls from.
The one constant over the years under Joe Mazzulla is that they are a low-turnover team, and that has continued this season, committing the fewest turnovers per game at 11.2.
On the defensive side, things have been a bit better, but some areas still need major improvement. They are allowing the third fewest points per game at 110. This is primarily because they have allowed the fewest shots per game along with the 5th lowest percentage made.
Free throws have hurt the Celtics on this side of the ball as well, committing the 2nd most fouls and allowing the 4th most free throw attempts. A big reason for the Celtics losing so many close games has been the massive free throw disparity between the offense and defense.
Due to the lack of size at the center position, defensive rebounding has been a big problem. They have allowed the 4th most offensive rebounds per game, which has been a glaring problem against teams running bigger lineups.
Conclusion
Overall, the 2026 Celtics were always going to have their ups and downs, and we are seeing it in real time. The increased roles on offense have helped some players while hurting others. The lack of size and great perimeter defenders has hurt them on the defensive end, which has led to a lot of late-game losses.
Over the next 10 games, we will get to see what adjustments are made. Joe Mazzulla has experimented with the bench unit much more to begin the season, which has produced mixed results.
The Celtics will face just 4 teams with a record above .500. This is an opportunity to climb back into the standings but could also be a brutal reality check for how far this team can go.
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