The Celtics have started the season off as dominant as expected, albeit with a few unforeseen issues such as the health of starting center Kristaps Porizingis. He sustained a rare calf injury during the playoffs last year and was forced to miss this season’s first two or so months. He recently came back and made an impact, however it’s evident that he’s not fully back to his old self. While he was injured, a young center named Neemias Queta picked up the slack. His athleticism on both ends of the court shined in the absence of Porzingis, but sadly he will not be seeing much playing time with the return of Luke Kornet and Porzingis. Freshman at HHS Pedro Muzel-Damin speaks highly of Queta, saying “he is a real asset to the team.” Queta is averaging career-highs across the board so far and looks to be a promising center for the future, as he is only 25 years old.

The most notable improvement from last year to this year, however, is the growth of Payton Pritchard. The 26-year-old guard out of Oregon has improved in every statistical category and is the front-runner for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. He has been a sharpshooter as always (48% field goal, 43% three-point), knocking down more three-pointers this season than Steph Curry. However, his impact is much greater than that. Although he is only six foot one, he is an excellent rebounder on both ends of the court, averaging a career-high 3 rebounds a game along with 3 assists. Sophomore student at HHS Teddy Lambert praises Payton Pritchard, stating “Payton Pritchard is one of the most dedicated and underrated players in the NBA. Not only is he great at half-court heaves, but he is currently one of the best 3-point shooters in the league.” Along with Luke Kornet, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta, Pritchard has made the Celtics bench into one of the premier benches in the league.

Although the bench is stepping up in a big way, the starters are continuing to be a force on both ends of the court. Jayson Tatum is having one of the best years of his career so far, and Jaylen Brown is no slouch either (collectively averaging over 50 points). The duo is a force to be reckoned with when they are on the court together. Kristaps Porzingis has just come back from injury, and Derrick White is making a great case to be a part of his first all-star team. The Celtics may not have the best record, but they may still the favorites to win the 2025 NBA championship.