Yes, the Boston Celtics are slumping. But don’t worry— they will be fine.
Over the first 26 games of the season, it looked like Boston was on track to be the team to beat again in the playoffs. The Celtics were 21-5, beating the opponents they were supposed to and shooting the lights out from beyond the arc.
Even better, Boston was doing it without the injured Kristaps Porzingis.
Since then, it’s been tough sledding, as the Celtics have gone 12-10 after their initial hot streak. Starting with an ugly 108-117 loss to the lowly Chicago Bulls on Dec. 19, the Celtics have struggled to string together any momentum. Over the first 26 games, Boston had three winning streaks of at least three games but has only done that once over the last 21 games. Even winning back-to-back games has been difficult, something the Celtics have done just twice during their slump.
What’s the Celtics’ Biggest Problem?
It’s hard to pinpoint the biggest problem, but the main issue is that Boston is starting to play down to its competition again. Last year, the Celtics had no trouble beating opponents with a worse record than them, but this year’s Celtics haven’t had the same success. Two days after the loss to the rebuilding Bulls on Dec. 19, Boston lost to an Orlando Magic team missing its two best players, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
It seems like there are some excusable ones, like a 92-105 loss to the Western Conference powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder, but that one may be one of the worst examples of Boston’s struggles. The Celtics went into halftime of that game up 65-55, only to put up a nasty offensive performance in the second half, scoring just 27 points in the second half as the Thunder clawed back.
Days after falling to the Thunder, the Celtics got punked by 17 points to a Sacramento Kings team missing All-Star De’Aaron Fox, following that up with a terrible 110-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors. On Jan. 18, Boston blew an overtime game against the Atlanta Hawks after it was up by two points with six seconds left in regulation.
Almost every loss during this slump feels like the Celtics got sucker punched, or worse, shot themselves in the foot. The most recent losses are no better, losing by 20 points to the L.A. Lakers during NBA Rivals Week before letting sophomore guard Amen Thompson drop a career-high 33 points for the Houston Rockets and score the game-winner.
The Celtics Will Be Fine
Despite the concerning losses, the Celtics will be fine. The only real statistical reason they are slumping is because Boston isn’t shooting three-pointers as efficiently.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla’s offensive scheme relies on the Celtics making more three-pointers than their opponent, and the drop in efficiency makes it harder for Mazzulla to do that. Six of the Celtics top eight rotation players from last year are shooting worse from three, except for Porzingis and Sixth Man of the Year candidate Payton Pritchard.
Boston's regression from three compared to last season:
('23-'24 versus '24-'25 splits)👌Jayson Tatum: 37.6%➡️35.0%
👌Jaylen Brown: 35.4%➡️32.0%
👌Derrick White: 39.6%➡️37.0%
👌Jrue Holiday: 42.9%➡️35.5%
👌Sam Hauser: 42.4%➡️38.6%
👌Al Horford: 41.9%➡️35.9% pic.twitter.com/n7uOjdjSby— Celtics Lead (@CelticsLead) January 29, 2025
Compounding the issue is the fact that Boston is the defending champion. Everybody wants a piece of the defending champ, an idea that Mazzulla acknowledged and even welcomed. While Mazzulla may encourage it, teams will play the Celtics tougher on both sides of the ball.
That’s been especially true for other teams with their three-point shooting, as multiple players have set new career-highs in three-point shooting against the Celtics. It makes sense: Boston wants to shoot and make more three-pointers than their opponent. But if the Celtics are making less, and their opponents are making more, then Boston will naturally struggle more than last year.
Since Christmas, at least 12 players have set or tied their season highs for made 3-pointers in games vs. the Celtics:
HOU: Dillon Brooks 10-of-15
LAL: Gabe Vincent 4/7
LAC: Derrick Jones Jr. 4/7
NOP: Trey Murphy 5/10, Dejounte Murray 6/9
SAC: Keegan Murray 5/8
DEN: Russell…— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) January 28, 2025
For that reason, the Boston Celtics shouldn’t be that concerned, nor should fans who are frustrated with their recent stretch of losses. Again, this is the defending champions we’re talking about. Boston is as battle-tested in the playoffs as any other team in the league, and just because their regular season isn’t as good as last year doesn’t mean they can’t go out and win back-to-back championships.
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