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TO’s & Threes – Celtics Column 05/22/26

Posted on May 22, 2026 by TheIntern15 Leave a comment

By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

Last summer, the Celtics were in a dire cap situation, paying over $500 million for a roster without its fulcrum. Brad Stevens spent that offseason offloading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis for meager returns. The point wasn’t to receive meaningful player compensation, but salary relief. The Celtics couldn’t even retain Luke Kornet—a player Stevens had called a top priority—despite holding his Bird Rights. The 2025-26 Celtics were in no position to improve and had to rely on in-house talent and bargain-bin additions.

Nearly a year later, the Celtics have significant breathing room between themselves and the first and second aprons. They are below the luxury tax and now possess tools unavailable last offseason: the full mid-level exception, the ability to aggregate salaries to match larger incoming contracts, unfrozen picks they can trade, and a reset repeater tax clock.

This summer, Boston stands at a crossroads: try once more to build around the current core or reshuffle the deck. The argument for minimal changes is that the team already has solid bench depth. They can chalk up their first-round exit to bad luck, hope Jayson Tatum returns stronger in 2026-27 and pray he doesn’t miss another Game 7.
But the reason Tatum missed that game was calf tightness caused by the heavy minutes he was forced to play. The Celtics had to rely on him as their do-it-all forward because players on the roster simply couldn’t replicate what he does. In the past, the Celtics could count on Tatum as an ironman capable of shouldering that burden nightly.

Post-Achilles tear, however, he is more vulnerable. Tatum has achieved a miracle by returning from such a devastating injury so quickly and looking every bit the franchise player. Yet the circumstances around how much the team can put on his plate have changed.
Watching games from the 2024 season, what strikes me most is how diverse the Celtics’ offense was in the playoffs. Opponents could not simply drop in coverage to stifle Boston’s athletic wings, who prefer to score near the rim, because of the game-breaking presence of Al Horford and, for a brief period, Kristaps Porzingis.

The Celtics won’t win another title until they find a big man who can once again make it easier for them to attack close to the basket. Joe Mazzulla has mastered using shooting variance to turn the Celtics into a regular-season machine, but the past two playoffs have shown—in a smaller sample size—that this approach can backfire horribly without offensive diversity.

Even with the available tools, the Celtics face limited high-impact options unless they shop one of Jaylen Brown or Derrick White. Brown is eligible for a two-year extension this October that would likely keep him in Boston for the rest of his prime and make him a Celtic for life if he signs. Brown has been an outstanding player and person for both the team and the Boston community. But this is a cold business. There is a real argument that the Celtics’ downward trend can only be properly addressed if the Jays era ends with his departure—either for a disgruntled superstar (if possible) or a collection of players who better fill out various roster needs.
The best realistic option at center may be bringing back Nikola Vučević, provided the price is right.

His minutes often looked awkward last season; he frequently appeared unsure what to do with his hands, likely due to the finger injury he suffered in March. Still, he serves a purpose, and Mazzulla has managed him effectively by neutralizing his weaknesses and leveraging his strengths. Re-signing Vooch as a backup veteran big on a modest salary would be a quiet win regardless of Boston’s bigger moves. Other options include using the $15 million mid-level exception on Mitchell Robinson to potentially screw over the Knicks. The catch is that this would hard-cap Boston at the first apron, and Robinson has a significant injury history. Boston could end up doing the Knicks a favor.

The free-agent pool for centers is otherwise uninspiring. Upgrading from Luka Garza by chasing Nick Richards is one modest possibility, but that’s about it. Jusuf Nurkić is unlikely to leave Utah, and Robert Williams III will probably command a larger salary than Stevens wants to pay an oft-injured big.
This all circles back to the broader question of whether it’s time to lay the Jays era to rest. Whether targeting Giannis Antetokounmpo or someone like Domantas Sabonis, the changes this team needs cannot happen without moving one of the three highest-paid players while they are still at peak value. The overarching factor is that the Celtics cannot win another title without a big man who can do what Horford once did.
This league has always been dominated to some degree by centers. The Thunder, Spurs, and Knicks all feature game-breaking bigs who can create for themselves and protect the rim. Even a solid, all-around player like Sabonis would feel like a godsend in Boston because the team hasn’t had a big who could meaningfully expand its offensive repertoire in years.

Teams in Boston’s position often double down on the past and pay the price, or they sever ties and risk digging the hole deeper. Denver remains tied to Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray and hasn’t returned to the Finals since 2023. Milwaukee misidentified its problems by swapping Jrue Holiday for Damian Lillard and now faces the possible end of the Giannis era. Boston cannot afford to be stagnant or foolish. Brown has not minced words: he wants to remain a Celtic and retire here. Boston is his home. But can management realistically believe they will recapture glory by recommitting to this core when the roster has so many other pressing needs?

Vinny Jace is a special contributor to The15net.com. He does not live at the Museum of Science.

TO’s & Threes – Celtics Column 05/11/26

Posted on May 11, 2026 by TheIntern15 Leave a comment

By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

In one word, the 2025-26 Boston Celtics can be described as “confusing.” Heading into the season, the team was top-heavy, with its best player in rehab and its big-man rotation hopelessly thin. On top of that, they asked too much of their top three scorers. From Game 1 of the regular season until the fourth quarter of Game 5 in the first round of the playoffs, we collectively forgot those concerns thanks to players performing above their pay grade, excellent coaching, and championship DNA. From the first man to the last, Joe Mazzulla kept his roster ready. As players saw their roles extended, restricted, and extended again, they remained vigilant and contributed all the same. Prior to the season, the Celtics lost four critical pieces from their championship roster—including three big men and an all-around point guard—and replaced them with bargain-basement finds.

The reason the Celtics are now watching the playoffs instead of participating is that, 12 months ago, Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon. The team viewed the astronomical luxury-tax bill as malpractice if left unaddressed. It was a rare moment of responsibility: essentially burning a year of contention to prepare for Tatum’s return.
Nobody—and I mean nobody—thought in the summer that Tatum would be back by March. To assume anything other than a full-season absence was laughable.

Off the back of a career year from Jaylen Brown, the Celtics exceeded expectations and outperformed their preseason win projection. By the time Tatum returned, they closed the regular season on a strong 13-3 run. Suddenly, the Celtics went from resilient but limited to legitimate title contenders. A rematch with the New York Knicks seemed inevitable.

And then the tides turned. Derrick White couldn’t throw the basketball in the ocean. Mazzulla’s reluctance to bench Sam Hauser for Payton Pritchard led to poor offensive results at the exact moment Philadelphia was discovering rhythm with a returning Joel Embiid. With no sufficient answer for how to defend Embiid, the Celtics got gashed inside and were left at the mercy of their three-point shooting—which often went cold due to a lack of offensive diversity that only became apparent recently.

Game 7’s loss confirmed that this team is in fact going backwards, and the goodwill built from the championship run is on shaky ground. Mazzulla is no longer the epic wunderkind who could turn chicken shit into chicken salad. He’s a flawed architect of a system that relies too heavily on three-point variance and its superstar. Jaylen Brown is no longer the Finals MVP and borderline First Team All-NBA player. He’s now viewed as a braggart who couldn’t cash the checks when it mattered most—never mind that he actually did so before. We have the memory of goldfish.

There are facts that cannot be ignored, even if we wish to downplay the hyperbole. Tatum’s Box Score Plus/Minus this postseason was once again over +8. While fantastic for him individually—especially considering what he went through just months earlier—it highlights a team that lacks answers beyond its star. Fans often share clips of the gravity Tatum commands, with multiple teammates left wide open. The problem over the last two years is that the Celtics have lacked the ability to make defenses pay for that over-help by attacking in the post.

Kristaps Porzingis, in 2024, filled that void even while injured for much of the playoff run. It created avenues for Boston to diversify its offense, allowed Tatum to contribute despite poor shooting, and prevented role players like White from being overtaxed. When Porzingis was sidelined, the Celtics’ offense reverted to “Mazzulla-ball”—a wrinkle that caught opponents off guard because there wasn’t 82 games of film on it. Now it’s a staple, and teams know how to cut off circulation to everyone below the top two.

The discount Boston Celtics are victims of their own success. They got so good they managed to break our hearts in the end. The 76ers are no longer the little brother. After years of stepping on rakes, they are the ones celebrating at our expense. We can console ourselves with the fact that Philadelphia’s entire project since 2013 led to this moment—their crowning achievement. Sam Hinkie tweeting a clapping GIF not because his golden goose won a championship, but because they beat a transitional Celtics team in seven games—where Boston’s best player missed the decisive contest—and they almost blew it anyway.

None of that matters now. The 76ers have the edge. The next time they come to Boston, they’ll bring an undeniable, unbearable swagger that the Celtics must destroy. Reasserting dominance after losing ground is never easy.

The core of Tatum, Brown, and White is locked in and going nowhere. The Celtics won’t do what Milwaukee did and jettison a core piece for a big name—they aren’t that desperate yet. Mazzulla is on trial with the fans, but Brad Stevens remains committed to his coach. Their cap situation remains complex, with some breathing room but not enough for radical shifts. If they nibble around the margins, stay below the luxury-tax line, and reset the repeater tax clock, they’ll be able to spend back up to the aprons in 2027 without the massive compounding penalties from 2024 and 2025.
We all hate to hear it, but 2026-27 will likely be another gap year. They may use the $27.7 million trade exception from the Anfernee Simons deal to acquire a high-level starter, along with their $15.1 million mid-level exception.

Free-agent bigs that come to mind:

• Jusuf Nurkić

• Sandro Mamukelashvili

• Robert Williams

• Nick Richards

All situational backup bigs who can do what Garza did—only better.
Trade candidates:

• Daniel Gafford

• Onyeka Okongwu

Also situational bigs who would likely cost draft capital and/or a player.

The free-agent pool at guard is barren, with Jevon Carter the only realistic name the Celtics might pursue.

It’s going to be a long, boring summer. Today belongs to the 76ers and their second-round opponents in New York. Hopefully, by the summer of 2027, that will have all changed.

Vinny Jace is a special contributor to The15net.com. He does not live in the past.

TO’s & Threes – Celtics Column 04/20/26

Posted on April 20, 2026 by TheIntern15 Leave a comment

By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

Heading into the playoffs, the Celtics’ remaining questions center on whether they can beat the team best suited to face them. The New York Knicks have won seven of their previous ten matchups against Boston since the 2025 playoffs. Their wing depth—consisting of Mikal Bridges, O.G. Anunoby, and Josh Hart—presents unique challenges for the Celtics’ wings. The trio finds ways to shrink the floor, stifle Boston’s ball movement, and convert those disruptions into points on their end of the floor with clockwork efficiency.

On top of that, dynamic guard Jalen Brunson has made mincemeat of All-Defender Derrick White. In their previous two outings, Brunson has been electric: he scored 31 points in the Knicks’ February 8th drubbing of Boston, followed by a 25-point, 10-assist performance earlier this week. The Celtics have tried adding a wrinkle to their coverage by throwing bigger bodies like Jordan Walsh on him. It worked in their December 2nd matchup, which was Brunson’s worst outing against Boston this year—he was limited to just 15 points.

The caveat to all these losses is that Boston has never faced New York with both Jays available. Typically, the Celtics prefer to sag off New York’s “non-shooters” such as Hart, but that approach is now complicated because Hart is no longer a liability. His three-point percentage this season sits at a healthy 41%. Against Boston in this previous contest, it soars to 71%.

Several Knicks attended Villanova University, in Pensylvania.

The unique issue the Knicks present is that they are no longer as reliant on Brunson as they were in the past.

Mazzulla doesn’t appear to regret his strategy of sagging off Hart. If a scheme alteration isn’t in the cards, perhaps he is betting that a healthy Tatum paired with Brown will overwhelm and exhaust Hart, leading to a less reliable jump shot. New York’s use of Hart against Boston has been crucial to their success. The Knicks also find ways to neutralize Neemias Queta by switching him onto smaller, quicker players and dragging him away from his preferred station near the basket. Queta’s matchups against New York haven’t been encouraging, he’s often been bested by Karl-Anthony Towns and outmuscled by the athletic Mitchell Robinson.

The February acquisition of Nikola Vučević leads me to believe the plan isn’t to win the battle on the boards, but to make the most of their first chances. Vučević subtly got into a groove in the second half against New York, and it opened the paint up for cutting action.

The Celtics will likely rely on Vučević more than Luka Garza in a hypothetical matchup against the Knicks. Despite Vučević’s defensive shortcomings, his veteran savvy and ability to space the floor make him the better option. While Vučević remains inconsistent, he poses at least a semblance of an outside threat that forces the Knicks to pay attention to him. Garza’s slower feet, lack of athleticism, and rim-centered game make him far less of a threat. Though Garza has shown flashes of brilliance, they’ve mostly come against teams without notable pedigree and in relatively low-stakes contests.

The adjustments I can see Mazzulla making the next time these teams meet include placing White on Hart, assigning Brown, Tatum, or Walsh to Brunson, and using Vučević to drag Robinson away from the rim. A potential rematch series will be won in the trenches—in the pillboxes and scrums—and it won’t look pretty. Either the Knicks will rip the Celtics’ heart out, or vice versa. The only thing I’m certain of is that neither team will go down easy.

Vinny Jace is a special contributor to The15net.com. He does not live in any of the five boroughs of New York.

TO’s & Threes – Celtics Column 03/27/26

Posted on March 27, 2026 by TheIntern15 Leave a comment

You know who didn’t come back from an Achilles injury? Achilles.

By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

It is almost impossible to appreciate anything in our modern, instant gratification world nowadays. It is not enough for a top 5 superstar to return from a devastating injury in less than a year after surgery; if he is not immediately his old self after two weeks, then he’s a bum. Must be comfortable writing 240-character eulogies from the comfort of your couch while wondering what toppings you’ll order for your next pizza pie.

The concerns for Jayson Tatum are real, and they are also expected. If by some miracle he was his MVP-caliber self at this point, I’d consider it a glitch in the matrix. You can compare him to Kevin Durant, but the difference is Durant took 18 months to recover. The argument against Tatum is that he is not the otherworldly shot-maker Durant is. He plays more like a mini-Giannis, utilizing bully-ball to a maximalist extent. Two different players—all they shared was having the same injury at one point during their primes.

But it’s not like Durant is the same player since his injury. The shot-making is still off the charts, but his passing, playmaking, and athleticism suffered. The contrast between what he is now and what he was in 2014, 2016, 2017, etc., is stark. Even as he’s recovered, he lost something that cannot come back. That’s what makes the Achilles worse than most other injuries.

Does our Hoplite still have his hops? So far. The shooting touch will return, in time.

For Tatum, it’s impossible to see what he’s lost yet. It’s hard to attribute his missed attempts to the injury or just growing pains reintegrating into the offense. We probably don’t want to admit it, but the Celtics established a cohesive hierarchy in Tatum’s absence and reinvented themselves from a high-volume three-point team living and dying on variance to a multi-faceted system that incorporates cutting, the post, and near-the-basket action. Essentially, they are a superior version of the 2024 team in terms of the ways they can score. Whether Tatum can find his footing on a team that isn’t as reliant on him is another topic for discussion.

Prior to his return, Tatum said he was not coming back to be a role player. I don’t know why the term “role player” is treated like a slur in NBA circles. Role players are important. They play, well, a crucial role. Role players are the glue that holds your star players together and elevates the rest of the roster. If we look at the Los Angeles Lakers and the little renaissance they’re experiencing, it can be attributed to LeBron James’ usage going down dramatically and clearing the way for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to be their No. 1 and No. 2 best players. It’s something Tatum should be open to so Jaylen Brown and Derrick White can continue leading the show. If Tatum was slotted into a role similar to Baylor Scheierman for the rest of the year, I struggle to see the indignity beyond fat losers online having a laugh.

It is undersold how difficult it is for Tatum to rediscover his groove in the late parts of the regular season, in the midst of a tight race for the second seed. Tatum is not in basketball-playing shape, and we can’t fault him for that. He’s huffing and puffing, playing nearly thirty minutes a night when less than a month ago he just started playing competitive five-on-five.

The pluses Tatum brings on the floor are his defense and passing. The Celtics’ turnovers are cut down when he’s on-ball, facilitating and moonlighting as the point guard. He’s their best dribbler and passer by far. But what the Celtics aren’t better at when Tatum is on the floor is shooting the basketball. Sam Hauser is critical to their outside game. A development this season has been Brown’s decision-making and ability to not settle for jump shots, whereas in the past he would. He’s a constant attacker who’ll create for himself even while guarded tightly, and can kick out to an open Hauser in the corner after commanding lethal amounts of gravity.

Tatum on the floor in his current state messes with that nucleus. That’s not to say he’s a hindrance. The Celtics sport a +14.1 net rating when he’s playing. And we shouldn’t ignore the fact that Tatum has altered his play style to better complement those around him. He is being more selective in his shot attempts, emphasizing his other skills that don’t involve just scoring. But there are some tweaks needed to make the offense flow smoother.

If Joe Mazzulla can figure out a way to lower Tatum’s minutes, reduce his role into a perimeter shooter, versatile defender who can guard multiple positions and crash the boards—sort of like a high-energy bench player who starts—you’ll basically have a taller version of Derrick White.

In 2026-27, the expectations for Tatum will be that he returns to his All-NBA form. Until then, a role player is what should be expected from him, and he deserves a certain amount of grace for what he’s battled against and what he’s willingly sacrificed for the betterment of the team.

Vinny Jace is a special contributor to The15net.com. He does not live on the coast of the wine-dark Aegean Sea.

TO’s & Threes – Celtics Column 02/09/26

Posted on February 9, 2026 by TheIntern15 Leave a comment

By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

Heading into the trade deadline, the Celtics rode the high of an unexpected 34-18 record that currently has them sitting as the No. 2 seed in the East, a half-game ahead of the favorites to come out of the conference, the New York Knicks. What was anticipated to be a lean season, heavily reliant on established stars, turned into an egalitarian effort where perennial no-names became big contributors. Neemias Queta evolved from fourth-string center to starter-level rim protector, while young players like Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman turned in elite individual net ratings—Gonzalez at +17.7 and Scheierman at +10.7. The Celtics enjoy a luxury few expected them to have.

Had the Celtics not modestly hit on their late-round draft picks, perhaps they don’t trade Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vučević. Simons played a position of no real need; in fact, it could be argued he was redundant even if his impact was positive. Vučević filled a void, as Boston was thin at the big positions beyond Queta. Luka Garza is slow and can’t really defend. Chris Boucher never earned consistent time on the floor. Xavier Tillman never recovered physically from his injury.

Do not be frightened because it looks like Cam Newton typed his last name.

Vučević is not a flawless player and is quite frankly divisive. He’s never played for a team with real expectations or any semblance of a winning culture. He meandered through the post-Dwight Howard Orlando Magic era for most of his career, then became part of one of the worst trades of this decade when he was shipped to the perennial play-in franchise, the Chicago Bulls.

Like Simons, Vučević’s reputation is that his offensive numbers are empty calories—a product of bad systems—and that he’s a defensive black hole. For what it’s worth, the Celtics have managed to cobble together a top-10 defense this year despite playing players we’d define as bad defenders, and Vučević doesn’t appear any worse than those already incorporated into the rotation. Joe Mazzulla has shown an adeptness at hiding players’ issues and not over-relying on them when he doesn’t have to.

Vučević’s debut against Miami saw him matched up against elite defensive big Bam Adebayo. It was clear early on that he had his hands full as the Celtics fell into a 22-point hole before mounting a 98-96 comeback victory. Part of that surge came from Vučević dragging Adebayo out of the paint, hitting cutters to the basket, contesting rebounds, and converting on second-chance points. It’s not an elixir that renders bigs like Adebayo non-issues, but it gives Boston a fighting chance when Queta is on the bench.

Vučević notched a double-double in his Celtics debut: 11 points (4-8 FG), 12 rebounds (6 offensive), and 4 assists in 28 minutes off the bench. Prior to the game, he expressed a willingness to convert his role from starter to bench player to accommodate the team:

Talked to Vucevic at shootaround this morning. “I do understand that my role eventually could, maybe next season, might change. I might into a smaller role on a team. Come off the bench, things like that. I’m fine with that. I understand that’s part of most people’s career. … if…
— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) February 3, 2026

Even if Vučević doesn’t have the ideal traits for a big man on a championship contender, his attitude fits the mold perfectly—and that in itself is a huge win.

This trade is low-risk, high-reward for Boston. Simons was nice but wasn’t a long-term option and was likely to command a salary too rich for Boston’s blood. Vučević, if things go smoothly, could remain in Boston at a modest price and serve as a reliable backup big when Tatum returns to full strength next season. The trade also contributed to lessening Boston’s tax bill. Currently, they reside in the repeater tax, but by avoiding the luxury tax this season and next, they’ll become standard taxpayers. This opens a runway from 2027-28 to 2029-30 to spend more liberally.

Back in June, the Celtics’ projected salary and luxury tax bill was $540 million. Today it’s at $186.5 million, and they are only two games worse than they were last year. The Celtics cut costs when they had no choice given the unique situation they found themselves in, and they remain contenders to come out of the conference. And now they have added a big man who can potentially help them do that.

Vinny Jace appears on the Beyond Entitled podcast. He does not live in the Balkans.

TO’s & Threes – Celtics Column 01/06/26

Posted on January 6, 2026 by TheIntern15 Leave a comment

Is this old barn ready for unexpected playoff guests in 2026?

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.

TO’s & Threes – Celtics Column 11/20/25

Posted on November 20, 2025 by TheIntern15 Leave a comment

By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

Throughout the first few weeks of the regular season, coach Joe Mazzulla has discovered what works and what doesn’t: tapering the rotation, trimming Anfernee Simons’ minutes when it’s clear he doesn’t have it, and putting Chris Boucher on ice to free up minutes for the emerging Neemias Queta and the hot-and-cold Luka Garza.

It’s no secret what Boston lacked heading into the season and continues to miss—a glaring void that stares you in the face during every game: the absence of elite passing, dribbling, a steady hand at the wheel during moments of crisis, and rebounding whenever Queta is on the bench.

Not having Jayson Tatum around makes it easier for opposing teams to strangle the offense, especially in the last two minutes. The Celtics in the clutch lack sufficient answers, and the offense reverts to a “cross your fingers and hope it works out” philosophy. Boston sports a 2-6 record in close games. Their offensive rating sits at 118.4; defensive rating at 112.9; and net rating at +5.4. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard are solid players, but filling in for the role Jrue Holiday once did is above their pay grade. They’re better suited as connective passers, not table-setters.

Johnston Joe is a hard-nosed Rhode Islander.

How the Celtics cobbled together 7 wins in the season’s first 14 games stems from a hard-nosed, barebones approach that takes every game to the wire. If I were to tell you White was shooting just 35.9% to start the year, you’d assume the team ranked amongst the dregs. But it’s how players like him have contributed on defense even when being challenged offensively that is a testament to “Mazzulla-Ball” and its flexibility. Defense is the real bulwark of this team that’s held together by duct tape—White being the best shot-blocking guard on any roster.

The aforementioned big man, Queta, and his 7-foot frame—able to shift his hips like a soccer player on the pitch to stay with his man even outside the paint—keeps the defense from having to collapse inside to help. His 108.7 defensive rating, on top of his +13.1 on/off-court rating, showcases the rewards of Boston’s years of development of him since coming over from Sacramento. It was once far-fetched to imagine Queta being anything but a rotational big man; now, you have to imagine a contract extension is in play if he keeps this up.

There is no need to be afraid of Jordan Walsh when he is off the court.

In the middle of their in-between season, the Celtics have managed to keep themselves interesting. Jordan Walsh is slowly emerging as a credible defender, having back-to-back solid efforts against Tyrese Maxey and James Harden. The younger players have earned their keep.

Fans have labeled the Celtics’ approach to the season “Ethical Tanking”—losing games while maintaining competitiveness. While it’s likelier to land the Celtics outside of the lottery, perhaps it leaves open the possibility that they aren’t far from re-entering the title conversation when Tatum comes back next season.

Vinny Jace appears on the Entitled Weekend podcast. He does not live in Johnston.

TO’s & Threes – Celtics Column 11/25

Posted on November 3, 2025 by TheIntern15 Leave a comment

By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

The expectations for this Celtics season were always tough to gauge. For one, not having your best player—Jayson Tatum, out with an Achilles tear—caps their ceiling dramatically. The dire salary cap situation forced management to prioritize jettisoning big contracts to clear the books, meaning free agents like Guerschon Yabusele and in-house vets Al Horford and Luke Kornet weren’t options.

It’s a bitter pill for a fan base riding the Jayson Tatum contention wave since 2018. One wrong step, and the franchise is mired in a rut not seen since the Big Three era cleared out.

The solace in this dour hour? Maybe the Celtics land among the NBA’s dregs, in the lottery, where a top-flight prospect rejuvenates a roster quietly desperate for youth and trade assets.

But even this talent-depleted squad isn’t bad enough for lottery glory. Like it or not, they house a Finals MVP (Jaylen Brown), an All-Defensive guard (Derrick White), and the reigning Sixth Man (Payton Pritchard). Not to mention 3-and-D sharpshooter Sam Hauser—a marksman any team would covet.

It’s not rocket science, or aerospace engineering.

Yes, beyond that, they lack dudes who dribble, pass, and rebound. But the NBA—especially the East—is littered with worse. On any given night, Jaylen Brown can have flames shooting out his ass, scoring from a phone booth. Derrick White can rim-protect like a center. This leaves room for the ~~scrubs~~ role players to punch above: Minott, Garza, Boucher, Simons – channeling ghosts of better days.

Josh Minott, Luka Garza, Chris Boucher—and especially Anfernee Simons—aren’t championship pieces. Simons? Damian Lillard shot selection without the justification. But some nights, he splashes enough to steal W’s.

The three-point revolution proved basketball is math, not art. Bomb from deep, randomize outcomes, level the field. The Celtics are 3-4. Only the victims of one blow out, despite trash stats: 43.6% FG (27th), 32.6% 3PT (26th). No surprise—they lost three 7-foot rim protectors, replaced by barely warm bodies.

How bad are they? A 42-win squad waiting for luck? The worst clutch team ever, dropping 55 by slim margins? This ain’t 2014—no Vitor Faverani heater flipping Ws to Ls. There are made men here. That scares me.

This team wasn’t built to compete. It was built to carve cap space for Tatum/Brown 2.0. We’re too early to predict that era.

‘It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future’. Karl Kristian Steincke

Vinny Jace appears on the Entitled Weekend podcast. He does not live in Denmark.

Top 18 Things Not Discussed in the ‘Celtics City’ Documentary

Posted on May 16, 2025 by TheIntern15 Leave a comment

Before their time with us was done, we sent the Intern Street Team out to ask the locals what was left out of Bill Simmons’ Celtic City documentary they wanted to have in there. Here are their answers-

“If there was a connection between the Old Boston Garden not having hot water and the fact that the Celtics routinely beat teams comprised of plumbers and other tradesmen during the Russell Era.”