Monetary flexibility and second-apron restrictions prompted the Celtics to overtake their roster this offseason.
4 NBA champions exited. 5 newcomers arrived.
With Boston now 25 video games into its season, right here’s a have a look at how every of these new and departing gamers has fared so far (all stats as of Friday):
ADDITIONS
Anfernee Simons
Simons is considered one of simply three Celtics gamers who’ve appeared in each recreation this season. Solely Payton Pritchard, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White have logged extra minutes than the previous Portland Path Blazers guard.
Constant manufacturing has eluded Simons, nonetheless. For the reason that begin of November, he has practically as many single-digit scoring efforts (seven) as video games with 15-plus factors (eight). He’s scored 20-plus 4 occasions in a Celtics uniform, most not too long ago in a Nov. 23 win over Orlando.
Simons is the one Boston participant who’s seen his role shrink this season — he’s coming off the bench for the primary time since 2021 — and the outcomes, to date, have been combined. The 26-year-old has offered a handful of useful scoring binges, however he’s additionally been a nonfactor in a number of video games, most not too long ago going 2-for-9 with two assists and no rebounds in Thursday’s loss at Milwaukee.
It’s not but clear how the Celtics plan to strategy February’s NBA commerce deadline, however Simons’ $27.7 million expiring contract makes him a possible commerce candidate.
Josh Minott
Jordan Walsh’s emergence bumped Minott out of the beginning lineup final month, however the latter has continued to offer worth along with his size, excessive power and sneaky-good 3-point capturing.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla is tough on Minott, usually barking on the 23-year-old when he calls him to the bench. The previous Minnesota Timberwolves benchwarmer has been the linchpin of Boston’s latest shift towards smaller lineups, although, with Mazzulla usually deploying the 6-foot-8 Minott as a small-ball middle when starter Neemias Queta is off the ground.
Minott has appeared in all however one recreation and is on tempo for profession highs in each statistical class, together with his 45.3% field-goal share on 3-pointers (2.8 makes an attempt per recreation).
Hugo Gonzalez
There are shades of Marcus Good within the Celtics’ newest first-round draft choose.
Gonzalez doesn’t all the time play massive minutes and barely posts eye-popping stats (3.6 factors, 2.9 rebounds per recreation), however when he’s on the court docket, he’s like a cannonball coated in Crimson Bull. His aggressive, annoying protection and hustle performs at each ends have swung games for the Celtics and earned him a task as a 19-year-old rookie. He’s proven some offensive upside, too, capturing 50.9% from the sector and 47.6% from deep in restricted alternatives.
Gonzalez’s 10.9 particular person web score is third-best amongst Celtics gamers behind Queta and Walsh.
Luka Garza
Garza was the Celtics’ main backup middle behind Queta for the primary month of the season, however he’s since fallen out of the rotation as Mazzulla has leaned extra into smaller lineups. He logged simply 15 largely garbage-time minutes over the past seven video games.
Though he’s a talented offensive rebounder, is capturing 44.0% from 3-point vary and has drawn praise from Mazzulla for his work price, Garza’s defensive points have been obtrusive. His minus-7.5 web score is the worst on the roster by a wholesome margin, and he’s provided little as a rim defender, totaling eight blocks in 249 minutes whereas opponents shoot 73.2% towards him contained in the restricted space, per NBA participant monitoring.
Garza’s effectivity differential — how a lot his staff’s web score modifications when he’s on the ground in comparison with off it — is the fourth-worst within the league, per Cleansing the Glass.
Chris Boucher
Boucher appeared like he’d have a considerable position in Boston’s frontcourt after he began all 4 preseason video games. As a substitute, he’s been one of many final males on the bench.
The 32-year-old former Toronto Raptor appeared in simply two of the Celtics’ final 17 video games and has not seen recreation motion since Nov. 23. He’s performed the fewest minutes of any Celtics participant this season, excluding two-ways.
DEPARTURES
Al Horford
Horford mentioned he left Boston for Golden State as a result of he needed a chance “to compete and to win at a excessive stage.” His transfer has not gone to plan so far.
The Warriors sit in eighth place within the loaded West, only a recreation over .500, and Horford has not impressed. The 39-year-old is on tempo for profession lows in factors per recreation (5.6), rebounds per recreation (4.4) and field-goal share (32.1%). He’s appeared in 13 video games with only one begin, throughout which he went 1-for-8 and 1-for-7 from three in a one-point loss to Philadelphia. Not too long ago, Horford has been coping with sciatica and has missed six of Golden State’s final seven video games.
It’s nonetheless early, but it surely’s truthful to wonder if the longtime locker room chief regrets his choice to skip city, contemplating the Celtics needed to re-sign him and have exceeded expectations since his exit.
Kristaps Porzingis
The e book on Porzingis throughout his two seasons with the Celtics was that he was impactful when lively, however his availability was spotty. To this point, that’s held true along with his new membership.
The 7-foot-2 middle has performed in simply 13 of the Hawks’ 25 video games. He’s missed time each with proper knee soreness and handled signs of the sickness that derailed the ultimate months of his Boston tenure — later revealed to be a blood circulation disorder known as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Porzingis missed 5 of Atlanta’s final six contests and hasn’t appeared in additional than two consecutive video games since early November.
When he has performed, Porzingis has posted related numbers to his 2024-25 stats, averaging 19.2 factors, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per look. His rebounding and 3-point effectivity are down, however he’s upped his 2-point field-goal share and is doling out yet another help per recreation.
Jrue Vacation
Vacation, shipped to Portland within the Simons commerce, acquired off to a powerful begin with the Path Blazers. Getting into a bigger offensive position than he had in Boston, the 35-year-old guard began the Blazers’ first 12 video games and scored in double figures in 11 of them, averaging 16.7 factors, 8.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals.
Then he suffered a calf pressure — the most dreaded seemingly minor injury in at present’s NBA — on Nov. 14 and hasn’t performed since. The Blazers are 3-10 in his absence, and his anticipated return date stays unclear.
Vacation missed 20 video games with accidents throughout his ultimate season with the Celtics.
Luke Kornet
Not like Horford, Boston’s different free agent departure has thrived in his new Western Convention house. Kornet is on tempo for the very best statistical season of his profession after touchdown a four-year, $41 million contract with the Spurs. (The Celtics additionally had hoped to retain him however couldn’t come near that supply.)
The favored 7-footer is averaging 7.7 factors, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per recreation for San Antonio, serving as each a productive sidekick and a viable damage alternative for celebrity teammate Victor Wembanyama. Kornet began 11 of the Spurs’ final 12 video games whereas Wembanyama sat out with a calf pressure, and his staff went 9-2 in these contests, together with a street win over Orlando that Kornet sealed with a last-second block.
