Celtics Team Notes

[Boston Celtics]

Contrasting two years of Boston Celtics basketball at the All-Star break

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

These Celtics haven’t had the torrid pace of last season’s championship team, but how do they compare around the margins?

The NBA’s All-Star break has come and gone, and as the dust settles on another bizarre and idiosyncratic weekend of festivities, the Boston Celtics return to the court tonight. They’ll kick off their stretch run on TNT against the Philadelphia 76ers, and as we prepare for the last two-ish months of regular season basketball, it feels like a good opportunity to look back to last season’s team at the same benchmark. How do these Celtics compare to their championship selves from last year?

Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images

Let’s get the simplest fact out of the way first: the Celtics return to play with a record of 39-16, a mark that falls short of the 43-12 they posted heading into the break last season. The four-game difference in the win column doesn’t fully illustrate the contrast in how this team feels to many, relative to last year. We’ve seen them struggle for a notable chunk of the year, which is something that just did not happen last season.

Late December into January is obviously where the separation point takes shape. The Celtics lost three out of four games starting on December 19 against Chicago — including their first consecutive losses of the season — and suffered seven more losses from that point through the end of January. Within that span of time, their longest win streak was just three games. They just could not develop any consistency, winning 30+ point blowouts one night and dropping disappointing losses the next.

This is the kind of stretch that last season’s championship team simply never had. Consistency was the superpower of the 2023-24 Celtics. They did not lose consecutive games for the first time last season until March 7, a remarkable feat that helped them carry the top spot in the Eastern Conference wire-to-wire to such an extent that it was never in any serious doubt. This is perhaps the biggest reason why this year’s team is perceived as being a step or two behind. They made it all look impossibly easy.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Interestingly enough, the championship team’s biggest “slump,” relatively speaking, took place in the same time span as this team’s. After opening the season a ludicrous 26-6 through the end of 2023, the Celtics matched that loss total over the next 23 games, going 17-6 heading into All-Star Weekend. It’s a joke to suggest a win percentage of nearly 74% qualifies as a slump, but it’s not much more of one than what the Celtics actually did to the Eastern Conference last year.

Peripheral numbers similar suggest a slight step back for this year’s version of the roster, but not much of one. They’ve recorded a net rating of +9.2 per NBA Stats, which is a decline from last year’s +10.3. As much as they’ve sank back, though, the rest of the NBA has more significantly surged ahead. That +9.2 mark would have still comfortably led basketball last season; the Oklahoma City Thunder were a distant second place at +7.3. This year, it ranks third — the Thunder lead the pack with a ridiculous +12.8, and the Cleveland Cavaliers hold second place at +10.4. The Celtics’ competition has risen to their championship level more than they themselves have lagged behind it.

One notable shift has been the Celtics’ increased reliance on the three-pointer. Already the league’s most prolific team from deep, Joe Mazzulla has them letting it fly even more frequently this season. Three-pointers accounted for 47% of Boston’s shots as of the All-Star break last season; this year, that’s risen to 53%. This is a comically high percentage of threes, even for a team as skilled behind the arc as this. Three-pointers are fundamentally inconsistent; the very sweetest shooters still only put the ball in the net a bit more than 40% of the time.

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

One potential factor would seem to contribute to this: the Kristaps Porzingis injury. Boston’s premiere paint threat, the engine behind their hyper-efficient post attack last year, Porzingis didn’t take the court until November 25 as he recovered from offseason surgery. One would naturally assume that their unicorn center’s month-plus absence would have a notable effect on the dynamics of the Celtics’ offense.

The only problem is that assumption doesn’t bear out in the stats. Narrowing the sample to Porzingis’ debut onward, the Celtics’ percentage of three-point shots drops just one percent, to 52%. They’re still taking over half their shots from behind the arc with Porzingis on the court, and their offense ranks just sixth in the NBA in offensive rating since he returned, according to NBA Stats.

The Celtics do not need to fundamentally restructure their offense. As currently constructed, when they’re clicking from deep, they absolutely demolish their opponents. They’re just not clicking quite as often as last year. Some of this is sheer variance that could correct itself — does anybody really expect Jaylen Brown to continue to shoot 3% worse from range than he did last season? But they’re also giving themselves fewer alternative options when the shots aren’t falling than ever before. Reemphasizing the paint attack seems like an obvious button for Mazzulla to press in the second half, and could help lend some scoring consistency.

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

Perhaps the most striking distinction between the two season is the Celtics’ performance on their home court. This season’s team has posted just a 17-10 record at TD Garden, a precipitous fall from the team’s greatest strength one year prior. Last year’s Celtics were nigh-unstoppable on the parquet floor, starting out the season with 20 consecutive home wins — the best home start in team history — and hitting the break at 26-3.

Curiously, these Celtics have almost entirely flipped the script. This year, they’ve been road warriors. They’re 22-6 outside of Boston, contrasting a 17-9 record on the road at this point last year. After their January struggles, strong performances on the road have helped right the ship. They’ve scored quality road wins over the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks amidst a 10-3 stretch heading into All-Star Weekend.

Playing on the road naturally has a higher degree of difficulty than playing on your home court, and you have to go all the way back to 1972 to find a season where they finished with a better road win percentage (80.5%) than this year’s 78.6%. That’s not the kind of pace you can plan on maintaining, especially in the modern NBA.

Of all the discrepancies between these two iterations of the team, though, this feels like the most likely to sort itself out. The Celtics have always enjoyed a strong home court advantage at TD Garden. Apart from the COVID-impacted 2020-21 season, Gerald Wallace was wearing Celtics green the last time they recorded home win rate worse than this season’s 63%. It feels safe to bet that this team will find some better results at TD Garden across the remainder of the season, which should counterbalance any kind of regression in their performance on the road.

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

In all, I think it’s fair to say this team’s talent is still evident, but it’s not being maximized to such an extent as last year. There’s clearly still fruit on the tree to be picked. So where do we go from here? For the champs, the remaining 2.5 months of basketball after the break were, ahem, fruitful. They went 22-6 the rest of the way, never taking their feet off the gas despite a massive lead in the conference down the stretch. We all know what happened after that.

Will this year’s Celtics team follow suit? This season’s results haven’t been as consistent, and the competition in the Eastern Conference has notably tightened — there was nobody as good as this year’s Cleveland Cavaliers in last season’s field. They don’t have the opportunity to coast to the top seed again; overcoming Cleveland’s current 5.5-game advantage will be its own challenge. The margin of error is going to be much lower, and the stakes much higher — though a team with this much postseason experience shouldn’t find themselves uncomfortable with that state of affairs.

Still, despite the vibes being generally more uncertain after January, there are plenty of indicators to suggest that this Boston Celtics team is at or near the very top of the championship contender hierarchy. They remain stacked with talent, they have the peripherals you want to see from a team with championship hopes, and, perhaps most importantly (knock on wood), they’re healthy. I think we can expect this team to close the season strong, and a return trip to the NBA Finals should continue to be the expectation so long as the status quo remains the same.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/2/...-break-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-joe-mazzulla

 

[Boston Celtics]

Celtics crush 76ers 124-104 to start second half of the season

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Boston’s first game back after the All-Star break was highlighted by a well-rounded team performance.

The Boston Celtics resumed regular season play Thursday night as they traveled to Philadelphia to take on the eleventh-placed Sixers. The Celtics prevailed in a massive blowout game, 124-104 to hand the Sixers their eighth loss in nine games. Boston have now registered a fortieth win on the season.

The Celtics opened the game as four-time All-Star Jaylen Brown deftly drove through the key to score the first points of the game with a sweet lefty layup. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis both scored in the key before Derrick White nailed a catch-and-shoot three to give the Celtics a 9-5 early lead.

The Philadelphia 76ers had a full complement of stars at their disposal for just the eleventh time of the season. Paul George hit on two quick shots for the home team to pace the Sixers early. Tyrese Maxey was very active early and fed Grimes on the break for a alley-oop dunk to even the scores at 15 apiece.

Jaylen Brown came into the game strong for the C’s early as he had 2 assists, 1 rebound, and 7 points in the first quarter. Payton Pritchard hit 2 out of 3 from three in his opening minutes off the bench to stretch Boston’s lead. Pritchard then dribbled free on back-to-back plays to assist both Al Horford and Jayson Tatum for three-point buckets as the road team went up by 10 points. Boston would lead 36-28 after one quarter in the books.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Jayson Tatum had 5 points after his first ten minutes of play.

A hallmark of Boston’s recent success has been its three-point shooting; the Celtics started the game strong, going a white hot 8-12 after one quarter. That continued into the second quarter behind it’s bench microwave scorer Payton Pritchard.

Pritchard looked in great shape after the All-Star break and kept the scoring going into the second as he quickly became the team’s high scorer with 5 straight three-pointers and 15 points. Stay ready was the theme in the second, as Luke Kornet had two wide-open dunks for Boston in the second quarter as he was expertly fed by Jayson Tatum to split apart Philly’s D.

Boston’s scoring was very even in the first half as 8 players in green all got onto the scoreboard with 4 players registering in double figures. Pritchard led the team with 15 points, Jaylen Brown chipped in 13 points, Tatum had 11, and Porziņģis added 10 points as the Celtics rolled to a 72-56 lead at the half.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Boston’s offensive juggernaut kept rolling in the third quarter behind Jaylen Brown and the starters. Boston outscored the hometown Sixers to start the 3rd quarter 17-9 before coach Nick Nurse was forced into calling a timeout to settle his squad. Things were starting to unravel for Philly, as Boston stepped up its play to another level all quarter.

Boston’s lead ballooned up to 25 points with three minutes to go in the third. The world championship team’s crisp passing and selfless play were on full display all quarter as the Celtics tightened the screws on the home team. Boston had 100 points after three quarters and a massive 26 point lead, 100-74.

Every thing was going right for Boston to start the fourth quarter with a crazy shot-clock buzzer beater by Kristaps Porziņģis as Nick Nurse burried his face into his hands and slumped his shoulders. Joel Embiid would have an early shower in this one as Nick Nurse waved the white flag early in the 4th.

For Boston, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Jrue Holiday would all rest the fourth, getting some additional rest following the All-Star break. New signing Torrey Craig would see a full seven minutes of game time and was active on boards with some nice energy play and a decent chase down block.

Payton Pritchard would lead the Celtics in scoring and finished the game with 28 points (8-15 from 3), Jaylen Brown had 20 points in just three quarters, Porziņģis had 17, White had 16 and Tatum had a triple double night with 15 points, 11 boards and 10 assists. The Celtics next host the New York Knicks on Sunday at TD Garden in a 1:00pm matinee game.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/2/...nd-half-the-season-jayson-tatum-triple-double

 

[Boston Celtics]

10 takeaways from the Celtics picking apart the Sixers

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

The Celtics attacked every defensive weakness on the floor, forcing the Sixers into tough adjustments. With sharp execution, elite spacing, and key contributions from the bench, Boston controlled the game on both ends.

#1 - Targeting Embiid​

There are games like this one where the strategy is so obvious, you start to feel bad for the targeted player. That’s how I felt after the first quarter of this game against the Sixers. As soon as the ball was in the Celtics’ hands, the goal was to attack Joël Embiid’s lack of mobility.

With various setups, the Celtics went at the 2023 MVP relentlessly and generated good shots out of it. At first, Joël Embiid was at the screen level, so the Celtics used that against him and drove deep into the paint.

To avoid opening the driving lane, the 76ers adjusted their approach, keeping Joël Embiid in a drop where he remained low in the paint to protect the rim. This, in turn, led to pull-up triples.

Because the Celtics are so good at attacking drop coverage, the 76ers had to find another alternative. They tried a 2-3 zone with Paul George at the top to contain the drive and use his length. However, this alignment was problematic because the backline consisted of Yabusele, Embiid, and Maxey—three defensive targets who either lack mobility, length, or both.

Later in the game, Nick Nurse had Joël Embiid switch on screens, but this only gave Jayson Tatum the opportunity to make him dance—reminiscent of Game 6 in 2023, where Tatum took over to extend the series to a Game 7.

Safe to say, Joël Embiid doesn’t have the same defensive impact he used to have. Worse, it sometimes feels like the defense is better when he’s off the floor. However, his backups are just as problematic defensively.

Joël Embiid 2024/2025 defensive highlights: pic.twitter.com/oSKX2ILhJR

— azmatlanba (@azmatlanba) February 21, 2025​

#2 - Defensive assignments​

On the other end of the court, the Celtics were prepared to match up with the Sixers. The goal was to make entry passes to Joël Embiid as difficult as possible, putting a body between him and the ball. Anyone on the team could take on this role as long as it disrupted the offensive flow.

Once Embiid had the ball, the Celtics preferred to have Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis defending him. Mixing up defensive matchups against Embiid was crucial due to the number of fouls he generates. By rotating defenders, the Celtics avoided early foul trouble.

Off-ball, the Celtics planned to double Joël Embiid, but not with the player one pass away.

The goal was to force Embiid to give up the ball while making it difficult for him to find an open teammate. The more complicated the pass, the more time the Celtics had to rotate off-ball and contain the other four players. However, it didn’t work well at first.

#3 - Early defensive breakdowns​

Early on, the Celtics lacked discipline and couldn’t stop the Sixers’ offense around Joël Embiid. They allowed entry passes too easily, and their help defense was too easy to beat.

With Embiid’s post-up gravity drawing attention, the Sixers were able to cut into space and punish the Celtics’ lack of defensive discipline, generating easy shots at the rim or open threes. Despite suboptimal spacing, they found ways to exploit the defense.

To shrink the floor and add size, the Celtics quickly turned to their double-big lineup—where Luke Kornet was key in slowing down the 76ers’ offense.

#4 - Kornet’s rim protection​

Despite playing on Kristaps Porzingis’ team and going up against Joël Embiid, Luke Kornet might have been the best rim protector last night. One play in particular highlighted his defensive performance in the first half.

Matched up against Kelly Oubre, who attacked from a pick-and-pop action, Kornet—a seven-footer—went under the screen, used his length, and positioned himself perfectly to meet Oubre at the rim. He disrupted the layup, turning the play into a transition opportunity. Impressive!

Whenever he was on the floor, the defense felt more solid. Whether playing off-ball as a safety or on-ball containing drives and post-ups, Kornet was a key factor in slowing down the Sixers’ offense.

His ability to protect the rim gives the Celtics a unique advantage, ensuring they have a strong interior defender on the floor for all 48 minutes. When Porzingis sits, Kornet continues to provide tremendous defensive value.

#5 - New variation from sideline actions​

If you’ve read some of my previous 10 takeaways, you know I enjoy analyzing the Celtics’ new twists on their classic sideline actions this season. If not, here’s a quick recap: the Celtics like to run stagger actions from the baseline or sideline—essentially, two screens set for an off-ball player.

First, they ran it for Jaylen Brown. Instead of going above both screens, he first went under, then above, dragging Embiid as high as possible. Following the off-ball screen, Porzingis popped to the three-point line while Brown dove to an open rim.

The next play was a classic—two screens generating an open three for Payton Pritchard. He ran above the Hauser and Kornet screens, leaving Grimes too far behind when he received the ball.

In the last example, they took it a step further. Pritchard baited Grimes into the screen but then cut to the rim, allowing Sam Hauser to use the Kornet screen instead. This created confusion and forced a switch. Kornet rolled inside, dragging Oubre with him, leaving Pritchard wide open again.

Chess, not checkers.

#6 - JT & Kornet synergy​

Speaking of offensive movement, the synergy between Luke Kornet and Jayson Tatum is a joy to watch. We’ve become accustomed to their pick-and-roll action, but they added a new wrinkle last night with a two-man game that tricked Paul George.

Kornet’s passing, rim-finishing ability, and strong screens complement Jayson Tatum’s scoring, ball-handling, and off-ball movement perfectly.

#7 - Dealing with Maxey’s dilemma​

Maxey once again proved difficult for the Celtics to contain. His speed allowed him to get to the rim too easily, and the Celtics were often caught off guard by how quickly he moved. The young guard has also improved his passing, making him even harder to slow down.

Yet, the Celtics’ offense looked its best when he was on the floor. Like Darius Garland or Damian Lillard, Maxey is a defensive target for every player on the court. Whether it was Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, or even Al Horford, they all attacked him and took advantage of his defensive weaknesses.

This raises the question: how much value does Maxey bring against the Celtics if he is constantly being targeted—despite his ability to collapse defenses on the other end?

#8 - Fireworks​

A staggering 58% of the Celtics’ shot attempts were threes, and they converted 44% of them—unstoppable. Seven different players hit multiple triples. Some nights, the Celtics just look unbeatable.

#9 - Out-hustled​

The Celtics sometimes get beaten by teams that outwork them. Last night, they dominated the Sixers with their energy—and this play was a great example. Al Horford saved the ball for the first offensive rebound, then scored off a second one.

The Sixers looked broken. Despite having a strong roster on paper, they simply couldn’t match the Celtics’ energy and talent.

#10 - Pritch please​

For the 18th time this season, Payton Pritchard made more than five three-pointers in a game. The future Sixth Man of the Year brought incredible energy and spacing. Alongside Kornet, he was the difference-maker last night.

The Celtics initially struggled to build a big lead, but Pritchard’s shooting and ability to generate chaos quickly killed the 76ers’ hopes. His knack for creating defensive mayhem makes him invaluable. He brings a spark that the starting five sometimes lacks, generating more movement than any other Celtics player—a huge asset.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/2/...on-tatum-joel-embiid-jaylen-brown-paul-george

 

[Boston Celtics]

Boston Celtics Daily Links 2/21/25

Joel Embiid vs Celtics 2/20/25 | Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

All the Celtics news you need in one convenient place.

Herald Celtics dominate 76ers, cruise to 20-point win in return from All-Star break​

Jayson Tatum taking playmaking to new heights as he ‘chases’ Larry Bird​

Globe Pritchard and Tatum lead Celtics to 124-104 win over 76ers​

Jayson Tatum says Bird is ‘best Celtic ever’. What about Russell?​

Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown lead the way as the Celtics rout the 76ers ​

Court Sense: A Broad Street Beatdown ​

Celtics Green Comments from the Other Side - 76ers 2/20/25 ​

CelticsBlog Celtics crush 76ers 124-104 to start second half of the season ​

Must C’s: Tatum threads the needle for a pair of Kornet slams ​

Celtics-76ers notebook: Jayson Tatum talks chasing Larry Bird, Al Horford embraces the Philly hate, a 4 Nations watch party​

10 takeaways from the Celtics picking apart the Sixers ​

CLNS Media Biggest Stories and What to Watch For Entering Celtics Second Half ​

Celtics .com Keys to the Game: Celtics 124, 76ers 104 ​

Celtics Log 15th 20-Point Win of Season Behind Jayson Tatum’s Triple-Double​

NESN Three Studs, Three Duds As Celtics Begin Second Half With Win​

Could Celtics Rival’s Setback Trigger NBA’s Next Superstar Exit?​

NBC Sports Boston How Jayson Tatum is motivated by Larry Bird while chasing Celtics greatness ​

Drew Hanlen details how Jayson Tatum fixed his shot post-Olympics​

Celtics-76ers recap: C’s dominate Philly in return from break ​

The Athletic Jayson Tatum might never reach Larry Bird’s status in Boston, but he’s ‘a great guy to chase’ ​

Mass Live 4 takeaways as Celtics crush 76ers behind Jayson Tatum triple-double ​

Payton Pritchard praises Boston Celtics fans after massive 76ers win ​

Boston Celtics’ dominant 76ers win shows deeper contender status ​

Joe Mazzulla gives Celtics star unique praise after 76ers win​

Boston Celtics veteran gives candid reaction to extra boos after Sixers win ​

Charles Barkley: Canada beat USA because ‘they didn’t want to be the 51st state’ ​

Celtics Wire Celtics history: Milkman’s Special; Wolkowyski cut; Crawford trade​

Celtics jersey history No. 12 - Chris Herren (2000-01)​

Star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum aspires to chase Larry Bird​

Payton Pritchard’s 28-point outburst leads dominating victory​

The Celtics should not be afraid of the other teams in the NBA’s East​

What two words best describe the Celtics heading into the stretch run?​

Joe Mazzulla has high praise for playmaking of Celtics’ Jayson Tatum​

Boston Sports Journal BSJ Game Report: Celtics 124, Sixer 104 - Pritchard’s 28, Tatum’s triple-double fuel blowout​

Karalis: Jayson Tatum’s passing has hit a new level, making him more dangerous than ever​

Hardwood Houdini Jayson Tatum’s Larry Bird statement should be music to Celtics fans’ ears​

Booing Al Horford proves 76ers fans are embarrassingly clueless​

CLNS Media/YouTube Jayson Tatum on Chasing Larry Bird, Wants to Become Best Celtic Ever | Celtics Postgame 2-20 ​

Payton Pritchard on Celtics Road Support: “We Got the Best Fans In the World.” | Postgame 2-20 ​

Joe Mazzulla PRAISES Jayson Tatum’s Playmaking: “People — take it for granted.” | Postgame 2-20 ​

Philly Voice Friday film: Sixers defense looks unprepared, overmatched in blowout loss to Celtics​

Athlon Sports Jayson Tatum Sends Strong LeBron James, Kevin Durant Message ​

Celtics Star Sends Message to 76ers Fans After Thursday’s Game ​

Jayson Tatum’s Message After NBA Makes Historic Announcement​

Liberty Ballers Sixers get steamrolled by Celtics in first game after All-Star break ​

Bleacher Report Grizzlies Sign Lamar Stevens to 10-Day Contract; Johnny Davis Reportedly Released​

Clutch Points Joe Mazzulla’s honest Jayson Tatum opinion after triple-double vs. 76ers​

Jayson Tatum’s huge Payton Pritchard endorsement after Celtics win vs. 76ers​

Celtics veteran Al Horford’s unbothered reaction to 76ers crowd’s behavior​

SI .com Jayson Tatum Makes Honest Statement About Boston Celtics Legend Larry Bird​

Al Horford Opens up on Disgruntled Reception from 76ers Fans​

Jayson Tatum Campaigns for Celtics’ Payton Pritchard to Win Award After Dominant Game​

NBA Makes Boston Celtics vs Memphis Grizzlies Announcement​

Sixers Wire Player grades: Sixers fall to Celtics as losing skid extends to 6​

Talkbasket Pritchard’s hot shooting propels Celtics past 76ers ​

ESPN Celtics 124-104 76ers (Feb 20, 2025) Game Recap​

Last Word on Sports Celtics Focus on Versatile Wings Runs Deep Throughout the Organization ​

Largest 6 Biggest Sports Betting Scandals in History ​

News Center Maine 76ERS POSTCAST: Instant Reaction to the Philadelphia 76ers getting BLOWN OUT by the Boston Celtics​

All Philly Sixers begin final stretch with disaster loss to Celtics ​

Gonzaga Bulletin Former Zag Anton Watson buys into Celtics’ culture: ‘It’s all about winning’ ​

Our Sports Central Davison Leads Maine Celtics to 8th Straight Win ​

Jackson’s 25-Point Performance Not Enough in Thursday Matinee with Maine ​

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/2/21/24370161/boston-celtics-daily-links-2-21-25

 

[Boston Celtics]

Payton Pritchard will win 6th Man of the Year (and other NBA Reacts predictions)

Will Jayson Tatum be the NBA’s MVP this year?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Boston Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Results courtesy of FanDuel.

Fans were polled on the NBA Awards and you can find the results below (along with my totally impartial, unbiased opinions).

Shai leads the league in points and is the driving force behind the Thunder competing for the league’s best record. Jokic is, well, Jokic. And some would argue that he deserves the MVP again, but Shai is the new, shiny object of people’s affection so he’ll probably end up getting it.

I think Tatum is properly slotted at #3 even though I think some of what he does is undervalued (defense, playmaking, generally letting other players cook when that leads to winning). He probably would have had a stronger case if the Celtics were leading the East.

I guess he’ll just have to set his sights on the Finals MVP, if he can beat out his teammate for it this time.

The future is bright in San Antonio, even though Wemby’s blood-clot issue is scary.

This poll was conducted before news broke about Wemby’s condition. Now he won’t hit the minimum games threshold, so I would imagine this award goes to JJJ.

Luke Kornet was robbed.

Amen has had a great season and seems like a reasonable contender for this award. That said, I think this has been Payton’s award since the first week of the season. Give that man his hardware.

Got your own comments and opinions? Share them in the comments below.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/2/...year-and-other-nba-reacts-predictions-celtics

 

[Boston Celtics]

Boston Celtics Daily Links 2/22/25

Paul George vs Celtics 2/20/25 | Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

All the Celtics news you need in one convenient place.

Globe Jayson Tatum says he wants to be seen as one of NBA’s greats​

‘I just want to continue setting the tone for the team’: New Celtic Torrey Craig discusses his role in Boston​

Jaylen Brown celebrates science, sneaker culture during 741 launch party​

Celtics concerned with playing well down the stretch​

Jayson Tatum is chasing Larry Bird in pantheon of Celtics greats​

NBA All-Star format was interesting at best, and a disaster at worst​

Joe Mazzulla has Patriots coach Mike Vrabel as a guest at Celtics’ practice, maintaining a connection to city’s brotherhood​

CelticsBlog Payton Pritchard will win 6th Man of the Year (and other NBA Reacts predictions) ​

Payton Pritchard is that guy​

The Boston Celtics are contenders once again ​

Celtics .com Torrey Craig and the Celtics Bring Hoops and Heart to South Boston​

Mass Live Former Celtics guard debuts with new team in surprise role after trade ​

Boston Celtics welcome Patriots coach Mike Vrabel in rare practice visit​

Former Boston Celtics guard makes candid admittance before 76ers signing​

Boston Sports Journal Picks ‘n Pops: Why 4-Nations worked, chasing Larry Bird, & Mr. Burns​

Celtics Wire Could the Celtics meet the Lakers in the 2025 NBA Finals?​

Celtics history: Giddens debut; Rondo, Kaftan born; DJ passes​

Jeff Twiss reflects on a Hall of Fame career with the Celtics​

Drew Hanlen on what it takes to make a player like Jayson Tatum better​

Should the NBA go back to drafting players out of high school?​

Celtics jersey history No. 12 - Bimbo Coles (2003)​

Hardwood Houdini Torrey Craig’s first thoughts on Joe Mazzulla are absolutely perfect​

CLNS Media/YouTube Wyc Grousbeck: Celtics Sale Playing Out Now | Full Interview ​

Sam Hauser Owned a Paul Pierce Celtics Jersey Growing Up | Full Interview​

Derrick White on Debating Celtics History with Jayson Tatum | Full Interview​

Jaylen Brown on Becoming Part of Celtics HISTORY | Full Interview​

Joe Mazzulla Invited Mike Vrabel to Celtics Practice | Full Interview​

Luke Kornet on Recent Dominant Play | Celtics Practice Interview ​

Derrick White Says He’s Playing with More Joy Recently | Celtics Practice Interview​

Essentially Sports Celtics Owner Wyc Grousbeck Tightlipped on Team’s Future but Issues Major Championship Expectations for Jayson Tatum & Co.​

Jaylen Brown Drops Major Details on His Million-Dollar Project as Nike Controversy Takes New Turn ​

Jaylen Brown’s $5 Billion Vision for Boston Ignites Hope in Ex-Celtics Star as Fans Celebrate Its Impact ​

NBC Sports Philly ‘Surreal’ path takes Lonnie Walker IV to Sixers ​

SI .com Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Appears at Celtics Practice After Special Joe Mazzulla Invite​

Jaylen Brown unveils 2 unreleased colorways of his futuristic sneakers​

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Offers Surprising Pick for Greatest Boston Legend​

Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Could be Impacted by Scary Victor Wembanyama Injury​

Celtics Hall of Famer Bill Walton’s Estate to Auction Off Personal Collection​

Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla Calls Out Team’s Play Despite Win vs 76ers​

Celtics Dominant Record Against Other Elite Teams Should Scare NBA​

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Thinks Payton Pritchard is a Lock For Postseason Award​

Fadeaway World Paul George Earns 7x More Than Payton Pritchard But Trails Him In 20-Point Games​

Basketball Network Bill Laimbeer picks a tougher foe between the Celtics and the Lakers: “It took us a long time beating our heads against the wall to get by them” ​

Chowder and Champions Overpaid Celtic Robbing the Team Blind With 2024-25 Performance​

Celtics Need to Keep Tabs on Marksman Who Just Hit Open Market After Release​

Reuters Knicks face tough road challenge in high-scoring Celtics​

Soap Central Jayson Tatum: “Who’s gonna tell him”: Fans troll Jayson Tatum as he said that he wanna be next generation’s ‘LeBron’s, Steph’s, and the KD’s’​

Duke Basketball Report YouTube Gold: The Genius Of Red Auerbach​

Bleacher Report Every NBA Team’s Biggest X-Factor Down the Stretch​

NBA Analysis Jayson Tatum shares NBA ambition LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant achieved before him, ‘The truth is…’​

Barstool Sports Buckle Up Because The Celtics Possibility Of Defending Their Title Just Got A Massive Boost ​

Motorcycle Sports An explosive mix of experience and youth, Marcus Smart’s pivotal entry into the Washington Wizards aims to rewrite their basketball saga​

CBS Sports NBA front office rankings: Celtics, OKC at the top, Mavericks sink after Luka trade, but they’re not No. 30 ​

Clutch Points Payton Pritchard has Celtics fans buzzing nonstop after fiery game vs. 76ers​

Why Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla is all in on a Boston WNBA team​

Hoops Habit 3 burning NBA questions that will be answered in the second half of the season​

Hoops Rumors Atlantic Notes: Gordon, George, Holiday, Hart, McBride, Anunoby​

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/2/22/24370759/boston-celtics-daily-links-2-22-25