The Boston Celtics have so rarely lost consecutive games over the past 14 months that the first losing streak of the 2024-25 season is likely registering higher on the concern meter than it should. Still, there’s no denying that the Celtics, who have lost four of their last seven games, are in a rare slump.

A shaky schedule, injury concerns and championship goals all contributed to Boston experiencing an uneven stretch of basketball for the first time this season. No one is pushing panic buttons, but with a tough and road-heavy schedule coming up in January, it’s fair to think about what areas the Celtics need to clean up quicker than others.

The Celtics looked like a wrecking ball with a record of 16-3 through the first five weeks of the season. At the end of that stretch, they got Kristaps Porzingis back and seemed to find a new gear with a lopsided win over the Clippers.

But Boston has sputtered a bit since then. The C’s stumbled in an early-season rematch against East-leading Cleveland after Boston ended the Cavs’ season-opening winning streak in November. Last week’s losses to Chicago, Orlando and Philadelphia will cause the team to take stock of its missteps.

So what is really a concern and what is just a blip on the radar? Let’s tackle some of the more important issues and assign a “level of concern” (1 is the lowest, 10 is the highest):

Porzingis health and production

When the Celtics beat the Clippers in Porzingis’ season debut on Nov. 25, it felt like a glimpse of their full potential when their 7-foot-2 big man was back on the floor.

Boston’s offensive rating through the first 23 games was 120.6, second best in the NBA. In the last seven contests, that number has dropped to 113.1. Boston’s net rating in Porzingis’ 299 minutes of play is just +3.1, rising to +12.6 in his 325 minutes off the floor.

A few starts and stops didn’t help anyone find consistency. Porzingis has injured his foot three times since his return, including leaving the Christmas game with soreness in his left ankle after an early stumble.

Boston’s preferred starting lineup of Porzingis, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White has a combined net rating of -4 in 85 minutes. This includes a meager offensive rating of 110.7. A season ago, this group was a combined +11 in 623 minutes.

Maybe getting and staying healthy is as easy as Porzingis. But the Celtics simply haven’t capitalized on what made this group so dominant a season ago. Porzingis should be the piece that takes this group to another level; Instead, it feels like they’ve gone the other way.

Concern display: 6. It’s most important that Porzingis is healthy in May and June, but even now it would be helpful to go on a long stretch with all parts of that core healthy.

Hauser’s back problems

Sam Hauser missed seven games at the start of the 2024-25 season due to back pain after missing just five games in the previous two seasons. Even more concerning, when Hauser was available, he struggled to be effective.

This has only increased in the last two games, as Hauser took just one shot and missed in 30 minutes of play against the Magic and Sixers. He’s a plus/minus favorite, sitting at minus-17 in the last two games.

Like Porzingis, Hauser has been a bit up and down. He missed a game against Miami earlier this month, but came back and made nine of 18 3-pointers over a two-game stretch against Detroit and Milwaukee. Unfortunately, the defense responded again, forcing him to miss three of the next four games.

The Celtics need to figure out how to get Hauser back to himself. Even though Payton Pritchard is leading the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year, the bench hasn’t been as efficient this season, in part due to Hauser’s struggles. Boston is blessed with depth, but Hauser is crucial to the team being as dominant as it was a season ago.

Concern display: 5. Back injuries are tricky. We suspect that Hauser is trying to overcome the pain. Boston stood out last season with its bench play, and a more effective Hauser would go a long way toward curing this group’s woes.

Sales

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Boston’s turnover rate through the first 23 games of the season was just 11.8 percent, second best in the NBA behind only Oklahoma City. That number has increased to 13.1 percent in the last seven games.

But it’s the combination of some sloppiness from Boston and an inability to force takeaways defensively that has hampered the team of late. The Sixers had just six turnovers on Wednesday, most of them thanks to the Celtics’ frantic attempt to recover late.

Concern display: 2. The Celtics will eliminate the ball security issues, but they will have to work harder to force their opponents to give up. Boston only manages 13.4 turnovers per game, ranking 25th in the NBA. The Celtics’ turnover problems illustrate that they need to focus a little more on the details.

Home, unpleasant home

The Celtics are now 11-5 at TD Garden following the Christmas Day loss – after posting a 37-4 record at home last season.

It was clear that the C’s placed a heavy emphasis on taking care of the home court last season after their Game 7 loss on home turf in the 2023 East Final. This year they didn’t utilize the garden’s energy nearly as much.

Boston has now lost to Golden State, Atlanta in the NBA Cup opener, Memphis in Marcus Smart’s return, Chicago and Philadelphia at home.

Concern display: 3. Ironically, two of Boston’s three playoff losses last season came at home. But they were much better at protecting home turf a year ago. You have to use all the possibilities in the garden.

Jaylen Brown reacts to the Celtics’ loss to the 76ers on Christmas Day and what led to the team getting off to a slow start in defeat.

Derrick White’s break-in

White seemed like a strong case for inclusion in the All-Stars, but for the second year in a row, a bit of a slump early in the season could work against him.

In his last nine games, White shot 37.3 percent from the floor and 32.5 percent from 3-point range on nearly nine attempts per game. White was forced to miss a game against the Cavs in late November with a foot injury and hasn’t been quite himself since. It’s fair to wonder if a whole lot of basketball over the past 14 months is adding up, too.

Concern display: 1. Even though it might hurt his All-Star chances, White always seems to find his way. His stock numbers (1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game) are still solid over the last nine games; He just needs to settle down a bit on both sides.

One last memory

Ultimately, it feels like the Celtics just need to settle on the details again. It’s a long season and it’s hard to do it every night when your ultimate goal can’t be achieved until June. But Boston has just gotten a little sloppy in some areas.

Health didn’t help, but the Celtics rarely used availability as an excuse last season. Boston’s depth is believed to be what sets it apart, and the Celtics need more from whoever is available on the court.

Boston hasn’t responded well to physicality and speed lately. We’ll be interested to see whether an increase in quality opposition in January forces the Celtics to perform more consistently and how they respond to the difficult away situation.

The bottom line is that this team just hasn’t played consistently enough lately. They have clearly shown that they have the potential to play at championship level, but too often experience painful lulls on both ends of the floor. You have to recommit to playing hard for 48 minutes if possible.

That’s not easy if you can’t achieve any of your main goals in December or January. But the team needs to develop better habits again. Teams look a little too relaxed at times against Boston, especially on the Garden Floor, and it’s time for the Celtics to remember that they are the champions and plan to retain that crown come June.