Although the Boston Celtics lost five key rotation players, four to trades and one to injury, in the summer leading up to the 2025-2026 NBA season, they possess a 44-23 record as of March 15th, 2026. Only 4 points behind the Detroit Pistons, who lead the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics continue to dominate the Eastern Conference, even with it being widely considered their “gap season.”
The team’s season started out slow, going 0-3 until their crushing 122-90 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. From there, they picked up momentum, raising their record substantially and overcoming teams such as the New York Knicks, who had previously beaten them.
Before they had begun to overcome the difficulties presented by reshaping their roster and changing how they play as a team, players had to be willing to step into new leadership roles vacated by players like Jayson Tatum. Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the playoffs of the 2024-2025 NBA season and has been unable to play throughout the 2025-2026 NBA season, up until March 6th.
In a press conference following a loss against the Detroit Pistons on December 15th, 2025, Jaylen Brown stated, “We gotta be better. I gotta be better. You know, I wasn’t good enough for my team tonight, so that’s on me.”
When asked whether the new construction of the team meant he had to step into a new role, Brown said that he had to focus on “Just the little plays, making the right reads, getting other guys some easy shots… staying in the fight.”
As of March 15th, 2026, Brown has embodied his “staying in the fight” mentality, averaging 29 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and maintaining a field goal percentage of 48.1%. Brown is considered the fourth-highest scoring player in the league.
There are many qualities that make a good leader on the court. It’s not just about stardom. Hamilton Wenham JV basketball coach Alina Richards said, “A good basketball team is one that works together toward a common goal… A team where (players) aren’t competing against each other, they’re running their own race.”
It seems the Celtics coaching staff shares similar mindsets, encouraging a style of play where each player improves their performance every time they step onto the court. Other players who have stepped into key rotation roles this season are Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and Neemias Queta.
Pritchard is averaging 17.2 points, and this is his first NBA season as a team starter. White is having another consistent season, averaging 17.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. Additionally, Queta has worked his way from being virtually unknown to having the eighth-highest net rating in the league at 11.9, according to the NBA’s official advanced leaders rankings.
But it’s not simply about an athlete’s statistics; team compatibility carries weight as well. According to Coach Richards, “[when] thinking about professional basketball teams, the people who make up the teams are obviously the best players… so if you have a team and they’re all just the best players competing with each other for playing time and having more of a negative mentality… that’s not working toward a collective goal.”
Instead of competing for individual stardom, players succeed because of team cohesion. As Brown said, by “getting other guys some easy shots”, he was enabled to become a leader on the court and guide not just himself, but his entire team to success.
As the season continues, the Boston Celtics are projected to make the playoffs as a result of what Brown likes to call “staying in the fight.” The team’s success across the Eastern Conference has the potential to lead to an unexpected conference or even league-wide championship.
