Analysis of The Boston Celtics a quarter Through the 2021-22 Season

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

21 games into the 2021-22 NBA season, The Boston Celtics are currently sitting in 8th place in the East with a 12-10 record (three-way tie with Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers).

It’s been an eventful season so far. The Celtics have gone through five overtime periods, blown fourth quarter leads,  and locker-room drama and a player’s only meeting. 

So far, it’s still questionable whether the Celtics are a team to believe in, a team to make a strong playoff push, a first round exit, or a possible playoff snub.

Jayson Tatum has struggled to find a rhythm earlier on this season — currently shooting at a career-low 39.7 percent through the first 22 games. With Brown missing games due to injury, he has been forced to take a bigger role in the offense.

Jaylen Brown was looking to have a breakout season judging from the first few games. Unfortunately, he has been in and out of the rotation still recovering from a hamstring strain from a month ago. His nagging injury has caused him to struggle the last few games.

Marcus Smart remained a great defender as well as the best playmaker on the team.

Romeo Langford has gained more minutes with the absence of Brown. He is shooting a career-high 42.9 percent from 3 on 2.1 attempts per game.

If The Celtics were to continue playing this season at this rate, hypothetically, they would finish as a play-in team. That’s how the team has performed last few years. They always feel like they can take another step because they leave so many steps untaken.