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Every season leaves behind a statistical footprint.
Some numbers become part of the nightly conversation. Others quietly accumulate over the course of six months before revealing just how unusual they really are.
The Celtics’ 2025-26 campaign produced plenty of both.
From Jaylen Brown becoming the first player in franchise history to lead the NBA in field goals made, to Derrick White posting one of the most dominant defensive seasons ever by a guard, to several role players finding themselves alongside some surprising names in the record books, Boston’s season was filled with eye-opening achievements.
Here are 10 standout stats that help tell the story of the Celtics’ 2025-26 season.
1. Jaylen Brown Became the First Celtic to Lead the NBA in Field Goals
Brown added another milestone to his career résumé this season by becoming the first player in franchise history to lead the NBA in field goals made.
The All-NBA Second Team selection knocked down 736 baskets, finishing five ahead of back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
He led the NBA in field goals made off drives, ranked second in isolation field goals, also finished second in transition baskets, and placed among the top 10 in pull-up makes. No matter the situation, Brown consistently found ways to generate offense, finishing first in the East in scoring at 28.7 points per game.
2. Derrick White Redefines Defensive Production for a Guard
Derrick White’s All-Defensive First Team selection was well-earned.
The veteran guard recorded 98 blocked shots this season, nearly doubling the total of any other guard in the NBA. Tyrese Maxey ranked second at 55, while Cade Cunningham and Reed Sheppard each finished with 54.
White’s impact extended far beyond shot-blocking. He also contested 552 shots, 163 more than the next-closest guard, Desmond Bane.
Add in 88 steals and White became the first Celtic since Kevin Garnett’s 2007-08 Defensive Player of the Year campaign to record at least 75 steals and 75 blocks in a season.
His combination of rim protection, perimeter defense, and disruptive activity helped establish one of the most unique defensive seasons ever produced by an NBA guard.
3. Nobody Protected the Basketball Better Than Boston
Ball security became one of Boston’s defining strengths.
The Celtics averaged just 12.37 turnovers per game, the lowest mark in the NBA this season.
Even more impressive, the three lowest-turnover seasons in franchise history have all occurred in consecutive years during Joe Mazzulla’s tenure as head coach.
- 2024-25 – 11.87
- 2023-24 – 11.94
- 2025-26 – 12.37
In a league increasingly built around pace and spacing, Boston consistently generated quality offense without giving away extra possessions.
4. Neemias Queta Smashed a Celtics Efficiency Record
In his first season as a full-time starting center, Neemias Queta delivered the most efficient shooting season in franchise history.
Queta shot 65.3 percent from the field, surpassing Cedric Maxwell’s previous team record by nearly five percentage points.
The gap becomes even more remarkable when looking at the leaderboard:
- Neemias Queta (2025-26) – 65.3%
- Cedric Maxwell (1979-80) – 60.9%
- Kevin McHale (1986-87) – 60.4%
- Kevin McHale (1987-88) – 60.3%
- Kendrick Perkins (2009-10) – 60.2%
Only five Celtics have ever qualified for the NBA leaderboard while shooting above 60 percent. Queta not only joined that exclusive group, he separated himself from it by a wide margin.
5. The Celtics Turned a Perceived Weakness into a Strength
One of the biggest questions entering the season centered around rebounding.
After significant frontcourt turnover during the offseason, many wondered whether Boston would have enough size and strength to compete on the glass.
Early returns seemed to support those concerns. Through October and November, the Celtics ranked outside the league’s top 15 in rebounding percentage.
Then everything changed. Take a look:
October – 49.3% (20th)
November – 49.6% (19th)
December – 51.0% (6th)
January – 52.9% (3rd)
February – 55.5% (2nd)
March – 54.5% (3rd)
April – 53.2% (7th)
Despite the rough start on the boards, Boston transformed into one of the NBA’s best rebounding teams. It finished the regular season third in the NBA with a 55.2 percent rebounding clip, proving that effort and collective commitment on the glass can often overcome a perceived lack of size.
6. Jayson Tatum Nearly Led the Team in Double-Doubles Despite Playing Just 22 Games
Jayson Tatum appeared in only 22 regular-season and playoff games combined, yet still nearly finished atop the team leaderboard in double-doubles.
Tatum recorded 15 double-doubles, trailing only Neemias Queta’s 18.
Ten came during the regular season, while five more arrived during his six playoff appearances.
He reached double-digit rebounds 14 times, recorded double-digit assists twice, and produced one triple-double.
During the regular season, Tatum averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, becoming the first Celtic since Al Jefferson in 2006-07 to average double-digit rebounds across a season.
7. Payton Pritchard Found Himself in Elite Shooting Company
Payton Pritchard’s reputation is built largely around his perimeter shooting, but one statistic revealed another layer to his offensive game.
Among players with at least 200 attempts from the non-restricted area of the paint, Pritchard ranked third in the entire NBA by shooting 55.9 percent.
The only players ahead of him were former MVPs Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant.
Not bad company for a 6-foot-1 who used soft touch and finesse to land among some near-7-footers.
8. Hugo Gonzalez Produced One of the Best Rookie Plus-Minus Seasons Ever
Hugo Gonzalez’s impact often extended beyond the box score.
The rookie finished with a plus/minus of plus-10.89 per 48 minutes, the best mark by any rookie in the play-by-play era.
Here are the top five rookie marks by comparison:
- Hugo Gonzalez (2025-26) +10.89
- OG Anunoby (2017-18) +9.43
- Dylan Harper (2025-26) +9.34
- Chet Holmgren (2023-24) +8.39
- Royce O’Neale (2017-18) +8.15
Gonzalez also finished with a total plus/minus of plus-246, trailing only Jayson Tatum’s rookie mark of plus-344 among Celtics first-year players despite logging less than half of Tatum’s minutes.
He also led all NBA rookies with an 11.9 net rating.
9. Luka Garza Joined Nikola Jokic in the Record Books
Luka Garza quietly authored one of the most efficient shooting seasons ever by a center.
Among centers who attempted at least 100 3-pointers, Garza led the NBA by shooting 43.3 percent from beyond the arc, knocking down 55 of his 127 attempts.
His efficiency wasn’t limited to long range. Garza posted a true-shooting percentage of 68.2 percent, the second-best mark ever recorded by a center with at least 100 attempts.
The only player ahead of him?
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who posted a 70.1 percent true-shooting mark during Denver’s 2022-23 championship season.
10. Sam Hauser’s Turnover Rate Is Unlike Anything the NBA Has Seen
Sam Hauser has built a career on efficiency – and not just from a shooting standpoint. This season, his turnover efficiency reached historic levels.
For the fourth time in five years, Hauser averaged fewer than one turnover per 100 possessions, finishing at just 0.9.
That pushed his career average below one turnover per 100 possessions, making him the only player in NBA history to maintain that mark while attempting at least 2,000 field goals.
The next-lowest career turnover rate belongs to three-time NBA champion James Jones at 1.1.
Hauser’s role as a catch-and-shoot specialist certainly contributes to the statistic, but countless players have occupied similar roles throughout league history. None have protected the basketball quite like he has.