ORLANDO — Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard — two just four active, healthy Celtics who were rotation players on the 2023-24 championship team — have both spoken candidly about the current state of Boston’s roster.
It’s not as talented, they’ve acknowledged, as the loaded squad that won it all two seasons ago and then went 61-21 last year. That’s been reflected in the Celtics’ 4-6 record thus far; while a step above the bottom tier of the Eastern Conference, they’d miss both the playoffs and the play-in tournament if the season ended Saturday.
Those returning mainstays have been encouraged, though, by the progress they’ve seen from their revamped group over the first 10 games.
“I think we’re moving,” Brown said after Friday night’s 123-110 road loss to the Magic. “I think we’re growing. I think we’re getting better. I’m liking what I’m seeing from certain guys, and that’s the most important thing, continuing to get better. I know we’re not an organization or a fanbase that makes excuses, especially in games that we feel like we can win, but it’s a part of the learning curve and process. So it’s still early in the season, and we’ve got to continue to fight. I’m going to continue to fight, continue to help my teammates get better, continue to see where the game and give the game what it needs to be. But that’s a part of it.”
The Celtics have been competitive in all but one game — a 27-point Houston Rockets beatdown on the second night of a back-to-back — and were leading in the fourth quarter in three of their six losses, including a one-point loss to Philadelphia on opening night and a two-point loss to Utah that featured a blown foul call in the final minute.
Against Orlando, Boston erased a 16-point first-quarter deficit and led with just over seven minutes remaining before fading late. The Celtics entered Saturday ranked 14th in the NBA in net rating and 15th in point differential.
“Think we’re making progress,” Pritchard said. “You know, it’s funny. You could look at the season, and it could be completely different if we win two games that we’re supposed to opening night and against Utah. Then we’re sitting, what, 6-4? A lot of people would be looking at it a lot different. But it’s the first 10 games. Now, we’ve got another set of another 10 games. Can we get positive each 10 games and keep getting better and better? So that’s kind of the outlook we’re looking at. It’s just a growth mindset.”
Brown and Pritchard combined for 59 points in Friday’s loss to the Magic, though Brown’s two-point fourth quarter prompted him to grumble about the officiating. They’re the Celtics’ two leading scorers this season, averaging 28.1 and 16.5 points per game, respectively.
The Celtics will visit Orlando again Sunday night (6 p.m.) before closing out their three-game road trip Tuesday in Philadelphia.
