Power Ranking Celtics' Roster Based on Regular-Season Performance
The Boston Celtics entered the 2022-23 NBA season with championship expectations.
They'll exit the regular-season portion of the campaign with the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed in hand.
While they weren't as dominant in the season's second half as they were in the first, they did nothing to dispel the notion they rank among the hoops world's heavyweights.
We'll retrace their steps individually as we power rank the entire roster based on regular-season performance.
The Bottom Tier
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Unranked: Danilo Gallinari
Gallinari could have been a fun fit in this frontcourt, but an ACL tear denied him the chance to hit the hardwood.
15. Mfiondu Kabengele
Kabengele signed a two-way pact last summer, but Boston never looked his way even when it needed depth up front.
14. JD Davison
Davison's first NBA run was quiet (27 minutes over 10 games), but he was productive in the G League.
13. Payton Pritchard
Pritchard's problem isn't a lack of talent, it's a lack of opportunity. Boston's backcourt depth buries him on the bench, and he never found a great rhythm this season.
12. Luke Kornet
Kornet taught us all you can (sort of) contest shots from anywhere. He also finished 67.9 percent of his field goals and tallied 2.2 blocks per 36 minutes, per Basketball Reference.
11. Mike Muscala
Muscala is a better shooter than he's shown in Boston (37.7 percent from three over his first 18 outings), but even the threat of him heating up is enough to stretch out a defense.
The Middle Tier
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10. Blake Griffin
When the Celtics needed minutes or spot starts from Griffin, the 34-year-old often delivered. His defensive limitations are set in stone, but he gave this group some extra scoring, spacing and distributing.
9. Sam Hauser
As a shooting specialist, Hauser wasn't adding much during his bitterly cold months of December and January. Outside of that stretch, though, he was a helpful release valve for this attack.
8. Grant Williams
This wasn't the contract year Williams could have wanted, but it was far from disastrous. He still left his mark as a versatile defender and 39.9 percent three-point shooter.
7. Marcus Smart
It's always hard weighing Smart's offensive shortcomings against the value he adds with his defense and emotional leadership, but Boston usually feels his impact more. Last season, the Celtics were 4.3 points better per 100 possessions with him than without, per NBA.com. This season, they were actually 0.7 points worse per 100 possessions during his floor time.
6. Al Horford
While Horford could average single-digit points for the first time in his career, you won't hear the Celtics complaining. He gave them stability up front, which they desperately needed to cover for the oft-injured Robert Williams III.
The Top Tier
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5. Robert Williams III
It's tempting to hold Williams' many absences against him, but he was such an on-court force, we couldn't drop him any lower. Entering Wednesday, Boston was 22-11 when he played and 5.2 points better per 100 possessions with him than without.
4. Derrick White
White has paced the Celtics with a net differential of plus-9.6 points per 100 possessions. He passed the "glue guy" eye test with ease, too, as his ability to blend his game however this group needed was invaluable.
3. Malcolm Brogdon
Boston wagered a first-round pick (and more) on Brogdon being its missing piece, and he has helped this group make good on that gamble. His shot-creation, in particular, has bought this attack some extra breathing room.
2. Jaylen Brown
Brown keeps doing what he can to climb to No. 1, but he can't quite close that gap. Instead, he'll have to settle for being the second-best player (by a healthy margin) for one of the NBA's very best teams.
1. Jayson Tatum
If there's a lock in this year's MVP race, it's that Tatum is almost certain to finish at No. 4. He didn't quite shoot his way to the finish line, but there are worse things to be called than a season's fourth-most valuable player.
