Boston is 1-1 after beating New York 107-103 on Friday, and 1-2 Chicago visits Monday. The best number the Celtics own was built partly by a player who now works for Philadelphia.
The standings moved over the weekend without a game being played.
Boston has not played since Friday, yet its seed shifted on tiebreakers alone. At 1-1 the Celtics sit half a game behind sixth-place Washington, which is 2-1. Jayson Tatum's 36 points settled the mood after the Detroit loss; they did not settle the rotation. CelticsBlog's Grant Burfeind spent Sunday asking what Joe Mazzulla's rotation says after two games, which is the right question to ask at this sample size.
Chicago arrives thin, and the comparison with last year flatters Boston less than it appears.
The Bulls are 1-2 and have played three games in the past seven days. Nic Claxton, Patrick Williams and Noa Essengue are all listed out. Last season Chicago went 31-51 and was outscored by 5.3 points per 100 possessions, while Boston was plus 8.3. Those are last season's teams, and three absences make this year's version hard to read from either side.
The most impressive lineup figure is also the least transferable.
Last season the Brown, White, Queta, Pritchard and Hauser five outscored opponents by 17.9 points per 100 possessions across 200 minutes. Jaylen Brown now plays for the 76ers, so that unit is a historical document. It shows the ceiling of the old structure, not a forecast for the new one, and Boston still has to find which four-man core travels without him.
Paul George's variance is the number to watch, not his best night.
George scored 38 in Detroit and 15 against New York. Boston needs the middle of that range every night, not the extremes. ESPN reported Sunday that Brown says there is no beef with Tatum, so the off-court noise will keep running. The court gives two samples against the same opponent: Monday, and again Friday, October 30.
When do the Celtics play the Bulls?
Boston hosts Chicago on Monday, October 26, and the teams meet again on Friday, October 30, in an Emirates NBA Cup game.
Who is out for the Bulls?
Chicago lists Nic Claxton, Patrick Williams and Noa Essengue as out. The Bulls are 1-2 this season.
