The Boston Celtics are off to the best start they could have wished for, sitting atop the Eastern Conference with a 14-4 record. The newly acquired Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziis have had the desired impact, as the Celtics now rank in the top ten in offensive rating while ranking second in defensive rating.

Of course, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the Celtics’ two most important players. However, three additional players should be credited for their contributions, as they all have complimentary skill sets that help the Jays flourish.

Jrue Holiday

The first is the previously stated Jrue Holiday. Celtics supporters were devastated after losing their beloved guard Marcus Smart. While there is no one who can fill the Smart-sized void in Celtics supporters’ hearts, Holiday comes close.

Holiday’s defensive versatility has been extremely useful to the Celtics, allowing them to run lineups they would not have otherwise. He is now averaging 12.4 points per game, his lowest total since his freshman year, and 5.1 assists per game. 

All of this was to be expected. He no longer needs to be a primary ball carrier, and he doesn’t even need to be a top three scoring option on some nights because he can play off the ball. Which he has accomplished, as he is shooting 37% from three this season. 

Holiday’s worth extends much beyond the stat sheet, and as long as he continues to play strong defense and distribute the ball when needed, everything else is a bonus.

Derrick White

To fit next to the Jays, the Celtics went through guards like Kyire Irving and Kemba Walker at one point. Those experiments did not go so well. They sought to find a point guard who could defend, pass the ball, and shoot a shot made for them. Smart he was, but he wasn’t a genuine point guard, despite tremendous improvement in that area. The Celtics then acquired Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs in February 2022; a wonderful fit. 

In fact, it was such a terrific fit that the Celtics determined that two defensive-minded guards were preferable than one! We can now see how dominant Holiday and White can be when combined. This remains a wonderful fit to this day, and White has only become better since joining the Celtics. 

So far, this season has been White’s best three-point shooting season of his career, with him making 39% of his tries. He can pull up or catch and shoot, which was unexpected but really welcomed. White, like Holiday, is a superb defender; he may be the best shot blocking guard in the NBA. The two have been a superb tandem that has done wonders for the Celtics’ early success.

Sam Hauser

The final player to be mentioned has one of the strongest contracts in the NBA, Sam Hauser, who is making $1.9 million this season and has a club option for next season for little more than $2 million. 

Someone earning that much money on a contract usually does not provide as much to a club as Hauser does for the Celtics. He scores 9.7 points per game and shoots 42.6% from beyond the arc. He was always expected to be a spot shooter for this Celtics squad, but he has grown significantly more dynamic as his minutes have increased.

Hauser plays 22 minutes per game and has excellent floor spacing. He is essentially the Celtics’ seventh man off the bench, coming in after Al Horford. He also fits in well with both the bench and the starting unit, thus he will always be useful to this club.