The Boston Celtics Are Currently Turning Into A Basketball Machine Of Death Right Before Our Eyes

Chris Coduto. Getty Images.

4 in a row (2nd longest active winning streak in the NBA). 9 of their last 10. An NBA best 18-7 in 2026. A perfect 3-0 start to this West Coast trip. A 14-6 record against the West, which happens to be the best winning percentage of any Eastern Conference team (57 win pace). An 18-12 record against teams .500 or better, tied for the most wins in the East. 

What does this all mean?

Well, I suppose that depends on who you ask. Some may tell you nothing as a form of cope, because they're having a tough time accepting what they're watching. Others will tell you it guarantees a deep playoff run in the next few months.

In reality, both are wrong to some degree. What we're watching the Celtics do right now very much does matter, but it's important to remember February basketball does not predict or guarantee postseason success. That's not what the regular season is about. The regular season is about stacking as many wins as possible, navigating the season healthy, setting yourself up with the best possible situation ahead of the playoffs by securing as high a seed as you can, and for this team specifically, continuing to develop your young talent while also winning a fuck ton of games. That's really it.

But what we've learned through 57 games is that we are watching a machine. A true basketball machine of death. No Tatum, no Jaylen Brown, this team says OK cool and still finds a way. In a game where they started 4 G-League players/minimum salary players and a guy drafted 29th, the Celts still went on the road and not only won, but won by blowout.

Was it ugly? At times. I mean, they didn't even break 100. Will they have to play better to win tonight in Denver? Of course. But what matters is finding a way. Molding your strategy and execution based on who is available to you that night, and dominating the margins. 

When I say we are watching a machine, I know that can sound hyperbolic, but it's also the best way to describe what is happening. How else would you describe a team that so far, has a better road scoring differential than the 2024 team? You know, one of the greatest teams ever assembled?

As long as they continue to do machine shit, I am going to call them a machine

Advertisement

So how is any of this possible? 

Culture. Belief. Buy in. Preparation. Trust. 

It doesn't matter who comes in or who plays. Everyone understands and accepts their roles. Everyone plays hard as shit. The coaching staff never asks a player to do what they aren't capable of, instead instructing them to just focus on one or two things they can excel at that impact winning. That's exactly what last night showed us, and it's not an accident. Just listen to Sam Hauser explain how the machine works

Celtics University like you read about. It's all connected. 

To me, this has been one of the best aspects of this entire season. In the last few years, there wasn't exactly a whole lot of developmental minutes or opportunities available. That's what happens when you build an insane championship roster filled with win-now vets. But this year? We're seeing all these young guys come in and thrive. We're seeing the hard work of the Maine Celtics system pay off at the NBA level. We're seeing a fluid connection between the two organizations, which are clearly on the same page.

Is it a big deal that the shorthanded Celtics gave the shorthanded Suns the belt? My guess is there won't be any parades later this week following this belt to ass performance, so the win itself is mostly whatever. The big deal is how they continue to win and how they continue to operate as this unstoppable basketball machine of death.

That's what matters now, and that's what will matter in a few months.

Let's begin.

The Good

- Normally, the top spot of every blog is reserved for someone who either does something on a basketball court not seen since Larry Bird (see: Blog Rule #3), a player who I feel like had the best night, or in rare cases an aspect of the game that I feel like warrants top billing.

And while there were plenty of awesome performances in this win, in my heart of hearts, I cannot start anywhere else. 

We need to talk about the defense being played by the Boston Celtics.

On the season, the Celts have now shot up to 7th in team defense. They lead the NBA in points allowed. Of all the remarkable aspects of this season, the fact that we're on the verge of watching a top 5 defense is something that is truly remarkable when you realize who the Celts are doing this with. This isn't a situation like OKC where the team is filled with high draft picks and All NBA defenders. The Celtics are getting this done with players who virtually had 0 NBA experience. They're doing it with minimum salary players at both the wing and big positions. 

A team that lost their best all-around defender (Tatum), 3 different 7fters, and an elite perimeter defender (Jrue Holiday), and you're still going to end up with a top 5 defense? That is fucking insane.

Advertisement

In this win, the Celts don't get it done without an elite defensive showing. The 11 points allowed in the 3rd quarter was the best defensive 3rd quarter of any team in the entire NBA this season. They held the Suns to just 37/33% shooting and 81 total points.

Watching it unfold, I kept thinking to myself, where had I seen this level of defensive execution before? I don't just mean good defense. I mean the kind of defense that has their opponent in a level of hell they didn't even know existed. Looking at the last 10 Celtics wins, these are their points allowed totals:

81

89

110

105

96 

100

79

93

94

If you're not a math guy, don't worry, I got you. That's an average of 94 points a game. The next closest team? The Raptors at 100.7. What we are seeing is unheard of in 2026, so where have we seen this before?

My brain instantly went to the 2022 Celts run. One of the greatest defensive teams of this modern era. What they did in the second half of 2022 was batshit insane, so I decided to look something up.

In 2022, when the Celts won in late January to improve to 25-24, from that moment through the rest of the season, that team had a DRTG of 106.0. That led the NBA.

In 2026, from 1/25 through today, the Celtics have a 104.4 DRTG. That leads the NBA.

Essentially, for the last month, we've been seeing the 2026 Celtics defend at a higher level than the 2022 Celtics. 

Please take a minute and think about what I just said, and then add the context of this year's roster around it

Giphy Images.

Whether it was Derrick White, someone who may be having one of the best defensive seasons we've ever seen, or Baylor Scheierman, or Jordan Walsh, or Hugo, or Neemias Queta, or Ron Harper Jr, they all were absolute nails defensively. Again, just look at this shit!

Advertisement

That's a Maine Celtics player by the way (who is also 10000% a real NBA player).

Halfcourt, transition, it hasn't mattered. This team is locked in defensively in a way that is not normal and has been for some time now. Oh, and there's a good chance they are about to add a two way demon to the mix. That'll probably help I would imagine! 

- The thing about Derrick White's hilariously bad shooting season is I cannot bring myself to give a shit. I don't care if Derrick White misses every shot he takes, I never want him to stop shooting. I never want him to change his approach or play without confidence. Why? Because he's Derrick White. We know he can shoot. So on a night where you have your two best players in street clothes, that meant it was time for Derrick to level up and provide the #1 option scoring.

His response?

Advertisement

22/8/8/1/3 on 9-18 (4-11) and a +20 in his 34 minutes. About as classic of a DWhite performance as you're going to get. Huge buckets, insane defense, and a level of ball security you can only dream of (1 TO).

Did you know Derrick White has 4,339 touches on the season (leads team by nearly 500) and only has 97 TOs? He's 5th in the entire NBA in touches! Of the 4 ahead of him, Maxey has 140 TOs, Brunson has 123, Cade has 182, and Jalen Johnson has 183.

I'll say it again, Derrick White has only 97 TOs on the season. 

So yeah, the shooting has been pretty bad for the most part this season. That is true. It also hasn't really mattered all that much, considering White has been beyond elite in about 10,000 other areas. It's one of the more fascinating seasons I can remember. A #2 option having his worst scoring season and it's a non-factor. What other #2 option could do something like this? This is why there's only one Derrick White. 

Thankfully in this win, it was the combination of both efficient offense and DPOY caliber defense. When the Celts are getting that version of Bald Derrick, thats when we often see the belt come out.

- One of the bigger questions heading into this season was if the young players could make a leap and be real, playable NBA rotation players. For a team with an expensive roster, hitting on these low salary players is essential. On that list was Baylor Scheierman, who was entering an important Year 2. We needed to see growth. We needed to see signs of a real player somewhere in there. 

Allow me to show you what that looks like

It's tough to pick what I loved most about Baylor's night. His rebounding, both on the offensive and defensive glass, has been a godsend. You know how you survive a game in which you as a team have a 49% TS% and shoot under 30% from deep? You hustle your dick off and secure every offensive rebound. How many possessions did we see Baylor keep alive in this game? He was credited with 3 OREBs, but it was definitely more than that. His ability to crash from the weakside and keep possessions alive has been a constant in his season this year. It's turned into a real weapon.

Advertisement

Or, did you prefer the defense? This may be the most surprising part of Baylor's season to me. He's not just a passable defender, he's been flat out good. Another game where he made a positive impact on that end, you couldn't take Baylor off the floor last night. Add in his high energy and effort, and those are the types of things that help grind out wins.

I'd love for his jumper to come around, but there's time for that. What we're seeing in the meantime is a player who has completely bought into his role and understands what he needs to do to impact winning every night. He doesn't try t do too much or play outside of himself. He just sticks to the gameplan and what his role requires. 

So if we entered the year wondering if the young wings would take a leap, when it comes to Baylor I think the answer is pretty obvious. The Year 2 leap is happening. What that ends up being? Who knows. But he has earned his spot in the rotation, and that is I think we were all hoping to see back in October.

- Speaking of offensive rebounding, the 22 OREBs were a bit insane. Even more insane, the Celtics as a team are now 4th in the NBA in REB%. They've been among the best DREB teams in the NBA in 2026. Mind you, the Celtics were 30th in DREB for a long stretch early in the season.

Aside from the collective rebounding we're seeing, we also need to give credit to the work of Neemias Queta. Another player who is, without a doubt, one of the biggest pleasant surprises of the season

This is a minimum salary center by the way. Just thought that should be stated again.

Queta's question heading into the year was if what we saw during EuroBasket would translate. Could Neemy prove to not just be a rotation center, but a starting center? 

The answer? Absofuckinglutely.

We're looking at the center of the future. Period. Queta has gone from the 4th big on the roster, to a legitimate starting caliber NBA center. As the season goes on, Queta continues to get better and better. His fouling is improving, his rebounding is improving, his processing speed is improving. I don't think it's crazy to say that Queta has been everything we could have wanted in a starting center this year, and he's only getting better. 

Advertisement

I now go into every game and if I see the opposing team doesn't really have size or an imposing center, my brain just assumes Neemy is going to end up with another legit double/double. That's the best part of all this. We're getting starter-caliber consistency. Every night we know what to expect from Queta, and he delivers. 

- Nice to see Hauser's jumper continue to look #BACK. He'll be back over 40% from deep on the season before you know it (4-10 last night). Sneaky underrated part of his night was the 4 AST and 0 TOs, and we're also starting to see Hauser be utlized more inside the arc, which is a nice change of pace. 

- Why might that be? Because now the Celts get to add this level of passing to the mix

Why did that feel familiar? Oh right

The Bad

- Look, it was pretty obvious that Payton Pritchard emptied the clip against the Lakers in that 30 ball. With that in mind, he does mostly get a pass from me for his 2-13 (0-5) shooting performance in this game. Better to lay an egg last night and have it out of your system ahead of tonight's game against the Nuggets. Sometimes, you just can't buy a bucket.

I will say it did feel like Payton was letting the whistle get to him. Guy was fouled pretty much every time he drove to the rim, and I don't think he got a single call. It felt like a result of that made him force things because he was blind with rage, but again if you go belt to ass against the Lakers you're good to lay an egg in my book.

2-13 (0-5) though, that was rough. 

- Pretty gross shooting night overall for the Celts, finishing just 40/27% and under 100 points. The first quarter was pretty gross, especially in their halfcourt execution. No real shot creation, rushed 3PA, they felt a bit out of whack.

Eventually they calmed down, saw the ball go in, and then locked in defensively to widen the gap, but I would not consider this a good offensive showing in terms of shotmaking. Good ball movement (24 AST) and good ball security (8 TOs), but dogshit shooting. To be up by as many as 28 points while shooting that poorly as a team shouldn't be possible, but that's kind of the entire story of this season. None of this should be possible, but it's happening.

Advertisement

- I don't really know what to make of Vuc's night. Was it awful? No. Was it good? Meh. I do continue to worry a little bit about whether his shooting is ready for the bright lights of the playoffs for a team with title expectations, and maybe this is just me having Evan Fournier PTSD, but I am weary of a situation where we are seeing him smoke open 3s and open baby hooks around the rim. I don't know why, I know he's good at both of those things, but some of these misses we see make me nervous.

That's probably a me problem, which I admit, but just put a pin in it. The passing is great, the defense has been fine, but the scoring outside of those few possessions where he has deep positioning has left a little bit more to be desired. 

- I think Jordan Walsh learned a valuable lesson last night. Do not tell Joe to challenge a call unless you are 1000000000000% sure you're going to win it. I'm pretty sure after that happened and the Celts lost the challenge, Walsh came out and never returned. Granted Baylor and Ron Harper Jr were playing great, but that didn't feel like an accident from Joe. 

The Ugly

- First it was the Warriors game, then it was last night. Stop blowing these big point differential boosts, I beg you. Only 17 points scored in the 4th quarter, a 28 lead down to 14 in no time, this was very annoying. Not in the sense that the game was ever in jeopardy, but in a front end of a B2B game you're up by 28, that needs to be an early night. I shouldn't see any main rotation player on the court for over 2 or so minutes. I certainly shouldn't be watching Payton Pritchard play all 12.

But that's what happens when you don't get stops and shoot 38/27% in the final frame. Given their prior issues in the 4th quarter, this triggers me. Even though both the Warriors and Suns games were never at risk, we've been hurt by too many blown 20 point games in the past to just overlook it, so I am begging. Please stop making me sweat the 4th quarter of blowouts. I'm getting old, my heart can't take it.

And now we move. The journey towards 40/20 has it's toughest challenge yet. A B2B against Nikola Jokic. Should they pull this off, all that stands in their way is the Brooklyn Nets. Pretty pretty pretty important game if you ask me, anad this is a team that feels ready for the challenge.