The Celtics and what makes this start to the season different

The growth of Joe Mazzulla is one of the keys to Boston getting off to a strong start against playoff-caliber competition.

BOSTON — There hasn’t been a better time to be on the Boston Celtics bandwagon than now, with contributions from players flowing in like cash to a well-oiled political campaign.

In the season-opening win at New York, it was Kristaps Porzingis who stole the show for Boston with a predictable inside-outside game scoring the ball, while balancing that with a surprisingly impactful game defensively. That was followed up by Derrick White delivering bucket after bucket against Miami, while doing his best Reggie Lewis against Michael Jordan impression by blocking not one, not two, but three Jimmy Butler shots at the rim in Boston’s win over the Heat.

But the scary part about this Celtics team?

They begin the season with a pair of wins over two of the better teams in the East, and do so leaving plenty of room for improvement across the board, something that just about every team in the NBA can say about now.

So how is the Celtics’ fast start to the season different?