​4 Things We’ve Learned About the Celtics After 4 Games originally appeared on NESN.
Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Boston Celtics have experienced a little bit of everything in the opening week of the 2026-27 NBA season.After blowing a 22-point lead in a season-opening loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Celtics have responded with three straight wins, capped by Jayson Tatum’s overtime buzzer-beater against the Brooklyn Nets.The Celtics are still figuring out their new-look roster, but their first four games have revealed some encouraging signs and some areas of concern.Here are four things we’ve learned about the Celtics so far.MORE: Jaylen Brown Has Blunt Response to Brian Scalabrine’s Celtics Trade Claim4 Things We’ve Learned About the Celtics After 4 Games1. Jayson Tatum looks like Jayson Tatum againTatum’s season didn’t get off to an ideal start, but he’s looked much more like himself since his clunker against the Pistons.Over his last three games, Tatum is averaging 33.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 49.2 percent from the field. He capped off that stretch with a 40-point performance against the Nets, his best game since returning from his Achilles injury.HAVE YOURSELF A NIGHT, JAYSON TATUM! ☘️ 40 PTS ☘️ 8 AST ☘️ 5 REB ☘️ 1 @TISSOT BUZZER-BEATER IN OT Tonight marks his 7th career game-winning shot with under 3 seconds remaining… that’s the most since the start of the 2019-20 NBA season! https://t.co/I0du5uQhvS— NBA (@NBA) October 28, 2026Tatum’s improved efficiency is particularly encouraging after he shot just 41.1 percent from the field in 16 regular-season games following his return last season.Tatum isn’t just scoring at a high level, either. He also leads the Celtics with 32 assists and just seven turnovers through four games, making for one of the best playmaking stretches of his career.The Celtics should be in good shape if Tatum can sustain that combination of scoring and playmaking.2. Paul George fits like a gloveOn both ends of the court.Offensively, George has been good for 22.3 points per game on a scorching 43.8 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, he’s using his length and anticipation to make plays, ranking among the league leaders in both steals and deflections.George has also shown off his defensive versatility. We’ve already seen him guard a bruising forward in Julius Randle, a shifty guard in Cade Cunningham and an athletic wing in Caleb Wilson.Paul George, the defensive menace https://t.co/LdxW63Zs8F— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) October 24, 2026He’s not Jaylen Brown, but a healthy George gives the Celtics another proven two-way option alongside Tatum.MORE: Everyone Is Talking About The Same Jayson Tatum Stat After His Buzzer-Beater3. Derrick White’s 3-point shooting is off to a worrying startThe hope was that Tatum’s return and George’s arrival would ease some of White’s offensive burden and help him rediscover his shooting