Joe Mazzulla’s decision to open that Game 7 with Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr., and Luka Garza next to Jaylen Brown and Derrick White still reads like a wild swing even after enough time has passed to dull the shock. Boston lost that do-or-die game to the 76ers, and with it the series after blowing a 3-1 lead. JB is now in Philly, and the moment has settled into Celtics lore for all the wrong reasons.
What makes the story even stranger is what Noah Eagle said in a recent interview with CLNS and Bobby Manning. Eagle described Mazzulla as “giddy” about the lineup, saying the coach was chasing an element of surprise after Jayson Tatum was ruled out, while also being genuinely eager to see how the group would function together.
That tracks with the split reaction Mazzulla always seems to provoke. There’s the version of him that looks fearless and inventive, and then there’s the version that makes people wonder if he’s overcooking the whole thing.
This was clearly a high-risk move, and it deserved criticism because it didn’t work. But it also came from the kind of confidence and willingness to experiment that separates him from coaches who never leave the comfort zone.
He didn’t sit on it for long, either. Boston got a quick look at the lineup, saw it wasn’t clicking, and Mazzulla shut it down. The Celtics lost that game and that series for plenty of reasons, and that starting five wasn’t near the top of the list.
Still, there’s something appealing about the idea of a coach willing to throw out the script instead of clinging to what’s familiar. That was the version of Mazzulla that showed up in the regular season, the one willing to get weird and try things other people wouldn’t.
The frustrating part, from the Celtics’ perspective, is that he seemed to pull back from that approach in the playoffs, becoming more conservative and less willing to adjust. So even though Game 7 ended badly, the hope is that the experience pushes him back toward the aggressive, unpredictable version of himself.
He tried the conventional route, and it blew up. Maybe the lesson is that the Celtics are better off when Mazzulla leans into the chaos.
In Other News...
Anfernee Simons Just Sent Celtics Fans A Familiar Message
Anfernee Simons is arriving in Philadelphia with a familiar perspective on what his next role might look like. After spending time as a starter with the Portland Trail Blazers, he also recently handled a bench role with the Celtics, and his comments on a podcast suggested he views the adjustment through a positive lens rather than as a setback. For a Sixers team that signed him in free agency, that matters because the plan is to use him as the first guard off the bench and count on him to strengthen the second unit.
For Celtics fans, the message will sound familiar because they already watched Simons navigate that kind of shift. His willingness to embrace the bench gives Philadelphia another useful scorer and a player comfortable with different responsibilities, which can be a real asset over the course of a season. The only question now is how quickly that mindset translates once the games begin and the rotation tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Face A Costly Payton Pritchard Decision Soon
Payton Pritchard is approaching a pivotal stretch with the Celtics, as he becomes eligible to sign a contract extension on Oct. 1. Boston has already been active in locking up other pieces, and Pritchard is now squarely in the group the team is expected to weigh carefully as it looks to keep the roster intact.
The timing matters because Pritchard just had his best NBA season and is projected to have a major role again this year. A deal in the neighborhood of three years and $67 million would signal real commitment from the Celtics, but it would also add another costly decision to a payroll picture that has been tightening around the teams core. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Put On Blast As Celtics Loyalty Debate Heats Up
DeMarcus Cousins added a fresh layer to the Celtics conversation this week when he took aim at Jayson Tatum on a podcast, arguing that Tatum should have checked in on Jaylen Brown after Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. The criticism centered less on basketball than on loyalty, with Cousins saying he was disappointed Tatum did not reach out during what he viewed as a difficult stretch in Browns career.
Tatum has publicly spoken highly of Brown over the years, but Cousins suggested those remarks were more about image than genuine support. For Celtics fans, the debate taps into a familiar offseason undercurrent: how much of a star partnership is built on real bond, and how much of it is just what gets said when everyone is watching? [Read more 🡒]