Analyzing the Celtics through 1 month of the season

(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)  https://www.nba.com/news/2025-26-season-preview-bos
One month into the NBA season, the Celtics have a record of 8-8 and sit at the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference, just outside of the play-in tournament. There have been a few surprising breakouts and drop-offs that have told a big story in the season. We will go over some key statistics that explain the 2026 Celtics through 1 month. 
                                Key stats

One of the biggest surprises so far has been the team's defense. Losing so many key pieces, with the biggest being the center position, made the defensive personnel look extremely bleak. So far, this has not been the case, allowing the second fewest points per game at 108.
A big reason for this has been the emergence of Jordan Walsh, Josh Minott, and Neemias Queta. Minott and Walsh were seen as fringe roster players, while Queta was a massive question mark, but so far, all three have played far above expectations. 
This is not a matter of steals, blocks, or forced turnovers, as the Celtics do not rank in the top 10 in any of these three statistics. It has simply been a matter of great contests and having a switchable lineup. The Celtics allow the fewest makes, shot attempts, fourth-lowest field goal percentage, and second-fewest paint points.
Contesting without fouling has been the biggest problem on defense. The team defense has been excellent, but the Celtics commit the 4th most fouls and allow the 6th most free throw attempts. These easy chances at points have kept opponents in the game despite holding them to a low shooting percentage. 
Another issue that has come up in clutch time is defensive rebounding. The Celtics rank 24th in defensive rebounds per game, and it has cost them in the final seconds in games against the Jazz and 76ers, games that will be important later in the season as they fight for seeding. 
Overall, the defense has been considerably better than expected given the roster turnover. Joe Mazzulla has done an excellent job at getting the most out of his role players, but there are a few issues that still hold the defense back from being truly elite. 
Offensively, it has been an up-and-down season. They currently rank 22nd in points per game, with some surprising early drop-offs. Derrick White and Sam Hauser have both been abysmal so far offensively. Both are shooting career lows in field goal and three-point percentage so far. Payton Pritchard has seen a significant decline in both field goal and three-point percentage but has still given the Celtics above-average play as the starting point guard. 
2025 free agent acquisition Anfernee Simons has played right at expectations. Simons is averaging 14 points on 43/40 shooting splits off of the bench. He has provided a scoring pop on an otherwise thin bench unit, but his efficiency leaves a lot of room to be desired. 
Neemias Queta is having a career year so far, averaging 9 points and 8 rebounds on 61% shooting, while grabbing 3 offensive rebounds a night. For what Queta has been asked to do, he has been a quality center for the Celtics offensively and defensively.
Jaylen Brown is also having a career year, averaging 27 points on 50% shooting, both career highs. There were a lot of questions about how Brown would play as the lead option heading into the season, and he has answered them all emphatically. 
As a team, the numbers are up and down across the board. They take the 5th most shot attempts but rank 22nd in percentage, take the third most three-pointers but also rank 22nd in percentage, and take the 5th fewest two-pointers and rank 15th in percentage. The biggest problem is the style of play being so jump-shot oriented. 
With so many new players, the shooting was not going to be as prolific as it was in years past, but they still play like it is. The offense ranks 29th in percentage of points in the paint and 26th in fast-break points while leading the league in percentage of points from the midrange. 
The worst of the Celtics offense comes in free throw shooting. They rank dead last in makes, attempts, and 21st in percentage. On top of this, they also rank dead last in pace and 26th in assists. The lack of access to easy shots has held this offense back in a major way. 
What has kept them in most games has been the offensive rebounding and turnovers. The Celtics commit the fewest turnovers in the league, and the offensive rebounding has given them a huge boost, ranking 3rd in the league in second-chance points and 7th in offensive rebounds per game.
As a whole, the offense has been subpar with a few bright spots. The considerable drop in play from the backcourt has been a major issue, as well as the style of play. Joe Mazzulla has made some adjustments, mainly the rotations going much deeper than years past, as well as the increase in midrange shots. We will see if he changes the offensive approach as the season goes on or if he continues to believe in the system.
                            Conclusion

Through 1 month of the season, the Celtics have played right at expectations, with some surprising rises from new players and some dramatic drop-offs from experienced vets. The combination of a good defense and below-average offense has led to an 8-8 record. There is a lot of basketball left to be played, and we will get to see if the Celtics can improve over the next month. 
Statistics links: 
https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/2026.html
https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/scoring?dir=A&sort=PCT_PTS_2PT_MR