Despite sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 6–7 record, the Boston Celtics are quietly performing like a top-tier team. After Wednesday night's 131-95 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the numbers tell a story far different from the standings. According to the voice of the Boston Celtics, Sean Grande, the team ranks 10th in the league in offense, 7th in defense, and 8th overall.
These rankings may come as a surprise, considering the team’s dramatic roster overhaul during the offseason. Over the summer, the Celtics saw All-Stars Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford depart. In addition, Jayson Tatum remains sidelined for an extended period of time due to a torn Achilles tendon. Despite losing these veterans, Boston’s additions have kept the team afloat. President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens replaced these players with Anfernee Simons, Luka Garza, Chris Boucher, and Josh Minott — though only Simons and Boucher arrived with significant NBA experience, while Garza and Minott are still finding their footing.
So far this season, Simons has performed as advertised, an essential spark plug off the bench, as his average of 14.5 points per game indicates. The biggest surprise has been Josh Minott. The former Minnesota Timberwolves swingman has excelled as a high-energy wing, contributing 8.1 points and 5.7 rebounds a game. Together, these additions have helped stabilize a team navigating a significant transition, ensuring that even without much of their championship core, the Celtics remain competitive.
While the Celtics lost a significant portion of their championship core, they are still led by a strong trio of guards/wings in Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and 6th Man of the Year Payton Pritchard. With talent on the roster and Joe Mazzulla at the helm, the Celtics have proven they can compete in the Eastern Conference. Aside from one blowout loss to the Houston Rockets, Boston has lost by double digits only once (13 points to the Orlando Magic). This proves that with improved fourth-quarter execution, future close games can turn into wins.
Looking forward, the Eastern Conference is still wide open. While the Detroit Pistons have separated themselves in the early going, only 2.5 games separate Boston from the second seed, meaning a strong run could catapult the team into serious playoff contention. This is why the team’s approach this season is critical: give role players meaningful minutes to identify who can contribute long-term, while remaining flexible for trade opportunities.
While the Celtics’ 6–7 start may look bleak on paper, their standings rank and point differential show a team still capable of competing at a high level. If they can maintain health, improve execution, and make targeted upgrades if necessary, Boston could emerge as a dark-horse contender in the Eastern Conference — proving that early-season concerns were likely overblown.