Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Jaylen Brown's Comments After Celtics Win Should Scare Opposing Teams
The Boston Celtics have been the best team so far this season.
Many expected the Celtics to be good throughout the 2022-23 campaign and even pegged them as one of the favorites to take home the championship this season, but not many expected them to be as good as they have been so far.
Through 20 games the Celtics sit atop the league standings at 16-4. The next closest team to Boston is the Milwaukee Bucks who are 1.5 games behind. For as impressive as the Celtics have been this season, one thing to consider is the fact that they haven't had their full starting lineup healthy for even a single game yet this season.
Robert Williams hasn't played a game yet as he has recovered from an off-season knee surgery but he is starting to get close to a return to action. Boston also has dealt with plenty of injuries outside of Williams so far this season with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Malcolm Brogdon all missing time at different points and yet the Celtics have found a way to win games.
Boston's offense has been playing at a historic level so far this season. If the campaign were to end today, the Celtics would set the league record for the best team offensive rating in a season at an eye-popping rate of 120.5. Even with all of the injuries, the Celtics are averaging an insane 120.4 points per game so far this season.
After Boston's 130-121 win over the Washington Wizards, Brown said something that should send shivers down opposing teams' spines.
"I think we're in a good spot and I think we still haven't played our best ball yet," Brown said as seen on NBC Sports Boston. "Defensively, I think we can pick it up. We let our offense kind of dictate things, we can be better. That starts with veteran guys, it starts with me, it starts with us. As the year goes on it's something that we are going to emphasize for sure. But I like the spot that we're in. We're playing great basketball. We are empowering our guys to come in and be aggressive and they feel comfortable in their roles. We're shooting the (expletive) out of the ball and we're playing the game the right way so there's not too much to ask when you look like that."
For as good as the Celtics have played, Brown likely isn't wrong. Boston's defense has started to turn a corner in recent weeks, but it still has been average. As the team starts to get healthy, that is sure to change. Boston has shown no signs of slowing down on the offensive end -- even scoring 130 in Sunday's win without Tatum -- and they will just get better defensively.
Things certainly are looking up in Boston.
Further Reading
Former All-Star Celtics Guard Reportedly Set to Sign With Mavericks
Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Win vs. Kings: Boston Stifles NBA's Top-Scoring Offense
The Top 5 Plays from Friday's Celtics-Kings Game
Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Breaks Down All-Around Team Win Over Kings
Jaylen Brown Praises Celtics Defense After Huge Performance vs. Kings
Celtics Fans will Absolutely Love What Jayson Tatum Said About Playing in Boston
