The Boston Celtics should be unstoppable. Third-best record. Deep roster. Star power. But if you ask Jayson Tatum, something’s off. The wins are there, but the chemistry? Still a work in progress.

“I mean, that’s, I think there’s some truth to that, just we haven’t had much time together, but you know, we know we can do when everybody’s out there,” JT said post-game. He wasn’t exactly oozing excitement when he said it. Tatum’s tone was measured, almost neutral, as if acknowledging a reality rather than celebrating a fix.

However, it hinted at a bigger issue: the Cs may look dominant on paper, but the chemistry has been a work in progress.

Boston’s record suggests a team cruising to the playoffs. But the journey? Injuries have disrupted their rhythm, with Kristaps Porzingis missing stretches and other key players in and out of the lineup. From January to March, the Celtics have dropped games to teams like the Kings, Raptors, Hawks, and Rockets—opponents they should be beating. Their offensive rating (118.5) and defensive rating (111.8) still rank top five, per nba.com, but consistency has been elusive.

Porzingis himself put it bluntly after their 122-107 win vs Mavs in January: “We were a lion last season, and some games this year we’ve looked like a house cat.” The challenge, he explained, is maintaining playoff-level intensity throughout the grind of the regular season. “We want to have that spirit as a team this year, and it’s tough. Obviously, we can’t trick ourselves and make it [like] it’s playoffs every game. It’s tough, just human nature. But we know the group that we have and we know that we’re going to bring it to the big games, but we need to bring it consistently and keep building on top of good wins like tonight.”

Still, as much as the Celtics acknowledge the importance of getting healthy at the right time, there’s no magic switch to flip. But regardless of these issues, the win over the Nets set a few records for the ring holders. They have now won 10 of their last 11 games against Brooklyn. Boston also holds a solid 7-3 record in their last 10 games this season.

That said, even with Porzingis back, Jayson Tatum and the team know the work isn’t done.

Porzingis is back, but Boston’s work isn’t done

Tatum’s response to Porzingis’ return wasn’t dismissive, but it also wasn’t the kind of unfiltered enthusiasm you might expect. There was no “This changes everything” moment—just a pragmatic take on getting back to full strength. If anything, his words suggested the Celtics aren’t assuming Kristaps Porzingis alone will fix their inconsistencies. The team has to figure this out together.

“Continue to play the right way regardless of who’s in, who’s out. We have an identity, we know what we’re trying to accomplish on the floor. You know, we just try not to skip a beat. You know, we got to plug and replace,” Tatum said on adjusting to lineup changes.

He also praised Porzingis’ effort. And with good reason. Despite being out for eight consecutive games due to a viral illness, KP’s 24 points while shooting 56.25% from the field helped edge a victory against Brooklyn. “Super talented guy, works really hard, um, got himself ready to come out here. And, uh, you know, he knows how to play and it’s just good to see him in a good rhythm and some shots go down and, you know, just attacking the switches and, you know, making us much more than there,” Jayson Tatum noted.

Clearly, the Celtics have all the pieces. They know their potential. But as the playoffs approach, the real confrontation isn’t with their opponents—it’s with themselves. And Tatum, whether he intended to or not, made that much clear.