Three regular-season games have proved that its task is much more difficult in actuality.
The Celtics are 0-3 for the first time since 2013-14 -- the first season of Brad Stevens' head coaching tenure -- as they approach a daunting second week of opponents. Only four iterations of the Celtics have begun a season with a 0-4 start, which has happened only once since the start of the century. The last time the Celtics commenced a campaign with a 0-5 mark was their inaugural season in 1946, the same year their home-opener was held at Boston Arena -- now known as Matthews Arena -- on Northeastern's campus.