The Celtics’ preseason start has been less about the scoreboard and more about the blueprint.
Boston opened with wins over Cleveland and Philadelphia, and while those results don’t mean much on their own, the way the Celtics have gone about them has been hard to miss. Against the Cavaliers, Boston didn’t need a lights-out shooting night to stay in control.
The Cavaliers actually shot better by a decent margin, but they never really dictated the game, even with Boston leaning on its second and third units. The difference was on the offensive glass, where the Celtics kept piling up extra chances and stayed in the fight while the shots weren’t dropping.
That fits exactly with the version of Mazzulla Ball Boston appears ready to lean on. The idea is simple: if the shots aren’t going in, create more possessions and make the math work another way.
That same formula showed up again against Philadelphia, only with a different route to the same result. This time, Boston had better luck from deep, but the more revealing part was on the other end.
The Celtics’ defense forced a healthy number of turnovers, cut down on the opponent’s possessions, and sparked a bunch of fastbreak points. Whether the threes were falling or not, Boston still found ways to win the possession battle.
For a while, Mazzulla Ball was treated as a three-point-only philosophy. That was never really the full picture.
The three-ball has always mattered, and it still does, but the Celtics are now layering in more ways to tilt the game in their favor. Offense rebounds and turnovers are becoming just as central to the plan as outside shooting.
Boston is going to have games where the shots come and go. So will its opponents. That’s why the added emphasis on second chances and forcing mistakes could matter so much for the Celtics this season.
What we’re seeing now is a preview of Year 5 under Joe Mazzulla.
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Tatum And Brown Reunion Reopened An Awkward Celtics Breakup
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown found themselves on opposite sides for the first time in a preseason game, a reunion that carried more tension than nostalgia for two players who spent years as the Celtics defining duo. The matchup came after Brown was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, a move that reshaped Bostons long-running core and left plenty of questions about how the breakup came together.
Before the game, the two did not speak during warmups, a small detail that said plenty about the awkwardness surrounding the split. The Celtics have moved on to a new chapter, but the reason behind trading Brown still is not clear, and the status of his relationship with Tatum only adds to the intrigue whenever their paths cross again. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Are Already Sorting Out One Big Jayson Tatum Question
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Boston has already begun testing those options in camp, using players such as Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Walsh to see how different looks function with Tatum as the focal point. The coaching staff is still evaluating what the best balance looks like, and the experiments so far have made clear that the final answer around Tatum is still very much being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Just Sent Celtics Fans A Clear Jayson Tatum Message
Jayson Tatums next chapter in Boston is already drawing a different kind of partner than the one he had with Jaylen Brown. Brown and Tatum spent years carrying the Celtics as co-stars, with a competitive edge that often defined how the team was viewed, but Paul George is signaling a cleaner fit for what comes next after being traded to Boston in the Brown deal.
George has made it clear he does not want the spotlight framed as a two-man race, and that matters for how this partnership could be judged in Boston. Rather than chasing the label of the guy, he wants to complement Tatum and help push him into a higher conversation, which tells Celtics fans a lot about the tone George wants to set before the season even starts. [Read more 🡒]