The Boston Celtics have gotten off to a hot start this season with a 18-7 record as of Dec. 20. They are 2nd in the conference. Tonight they play Detroit at TD Garden at 7:30 p.m. 

This season the team has a different roster from last season because of off-season free agency moves that the Celtics made. The players that the Celtics lost were Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Terry Rosier, and Aaron Baynes. 

The players that the Celtics picked up were Kemba Walker, Enes Kanter, and Vincent Poirier.  They signed Brad Wannamaker and Daniel Theis.

The Celtics drafted some talented rookies and are said to have the best draft of the year. The players the Celtics drafted were Carsen Edwards, Tacko Fall, Romeo Langford, and Grant Williams. 

Leadership has changed too. Walker has proven to be a much better leader than Irving, whom many felt was selfish and childish, while Walker seems selfless. Walker wants to do and in fact does what is best for his team and teammates.

This year’s team can make a deep playoff run, as they have a young core and promising talent. The most surprising quality this team has is their defensive ability. With their best defender Al Horford signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in the off-season, the Celtics were predicted to have one of the worst defenses in the league. But players stepped up.

Marcus Smart is on pace to win defensive player of the year the way he has been playing. Also other players such as Semi Ojeleye, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Walker, and Jayson Tatum have stepped up. 

Hayward is having a good season so far, but he can’t seem to stay healthy. Two years ago he had a season ending injury, and he wasn’t that good last year. This year he looked like his old self, but then he broke his hand in the beginning of the season. He was out for a month and returned, but then he hurt his foot and is out again. If Hayward could stay healthy he would be a valuable asset to this team.

Walker has been lights out this season for the Celtics. He is 6th in 3 pointers made in the league. Most of his stats are career highs for him this year, which some people find surprising because he used to be on the Charlotte Hornets and was their only good player so his stats were good. Walker’s transition to Boston has been a good one.

Tatum and Brown have also stepped up in a big way. Last year they did not have great years and people thought they were not becoming the leaders they could be. That has changed this year. Both players are becoming great leaders for the Celtics.

The Celtics chemistry is 10x better than last year. Hopefully this will carry in the playoffs.