The 15

By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

(Note: the statistics do not include Monday night’s game)

If you’d told me at the start of the season that the Celtics would be sitting at 20-12—on a 50-win pace—with a revolving cast of contributors, I’d have looked at you like you’d grown two extra heads.

The bottom line is that fans like to say they always knew when a relatively obscure bench player was on the verge of taking a leap, when in fact they don’t. Neither you nor I possess that knowledge. We’ve been wrong before. Ante Žižić, Tremont Waters, and Romeo Langford come to mind as projects we spent offseasons eagerly waiting to see blossom. Every puff piece or Reddit thread dedicated to their skills—bolstered by YouTube highlight videos—had us buying in. It isn’t a crime to want to believe every player your team drafts is a secret diamond in the rough. But one of the first lessons you learn is that it’s far likelier your team just picked a lemon with the 16th pick.

The difference between then and now is that former general manager Danny Ainge’s philosophy centered on exploiting what he saw as inefficiencies in the draft market: trying to recreate Isaiah Thomas by targeting players with similar skills and builds, and sometimes using draft-and-stash for project players. Ainge wasn’t a bad drafter, but in the later years of his regime, he exhibited traits that led to mistakes. Picking late in the first round every year means you’re the last dog at the bowl. As anyone who’s watched Moneyball knows, what happens to the runt of the litter? He dies. It’s safe to assume other teams try to implement similar strategies.

To earn attention from the coaching staff on the Celtics, one must be willing to put their body on the line. Boston draws 0.41 charges per game—10th most in the NBA. Rookie Hugo González and second-year guard Baylor Scheierman average 0.8 and 0.7, respectively.

What Mazzulla wants in his players is relentless, bulldog-like intensity coupled with consistency from three-point land. This means players are walking a delicate tightrope: slack off for one possession and you’re out; miss a rotation and you’re out. Mazzulla is quick to sub out anyone he thinks is slacking. But this roster is made up of players who won’t let that get to them. Professionalism and maturity are key. You don’t want players who accept that there will be games they won’t play in, but you also want them to maintain readiness for when they’re dusted off the bench and given 25 minutes due to whatever circumstances arise.

The three-point numbers for the rotation players are encouraging:

– Jordan Walsh — 45.1% on 1.9 attempts per game

– Josh Minott — 44.4% on 2.6 attempts per game

– Baylor Scheierman — 41.6% on 1.6 attempts per game

– Hugo González — 37.8% on 1.4 attempts per game

González has opened the door for himself by playing hard and tough for a 19-year-old rookie, displaying maturity and intangibles. His hustle plays are reminiscent of Marcus Smart. Off-ball, he’s shown a tremendous ability to cut to the basket and finish craftily. His defensive versatility thus far has been inspiring—the 6-6 rookie has held his own against big men like Karl-Anthony Towns, Bam Adebayo, and Kel’el Ware.

The offseason acquisitions Josh Minott and Luka Garza have essentially switched roles in little over a month. But Minott’s tendency to find himself in early foul trouble, inconsistent offensive input, and the Celtics’ competitive, deep bench have stapled the former Minnesota Timberwolf to the sidelines.

Conversely, Garza has assumed the title of backup big behind Neemias Queta, riding a phenomenal December to escape the doghouse. In November, he shot 55.3% from the field; in December, he raised that to 65.5%.

Outside the core players, you can’t really bank on who’ll find themselves on the floor from game to game. Josh Minott has shown he can contribute but struggles for consistent minutes. Minott began the season showcasing energy on offense, earning crunch-time minutes and even guarding the opposing team’s best player. Like González, Minott can adequately defend positions larger than his own, doing good work against players like Evan Mobley earlier in the season.

Third-year forward Jordan Walsh has played excellent defense on the likes of Tyrese Maxey and Cade Cunningham. While he’s shared crunch-time minutes with Anfernee Simons, the progression is real for Walsh.

Stevens’ ability to identify that the league is trending toward young, intense players who aren’t afraid to grind and get their hands dirty has kept this team afloat during some lean times in the first quarter of the season. And it’s because of his patience in developing players we’d largely forgotten about that the Celtics are no longer thinking about the lottery heading into 2026.

Vinny Jace appears on the Entitled Weekend podcast. He does not live in a seaside shanty in Hull.