The Celtics, we’re reminded, had been 3-11 in opposition to one of the best groups within the league through the previous season.
That is, at first look, a problematic file for a franchise that gained 56 video games who many thought of to be a contender. It means that the staff has an apparent drawback in want of a repair.
It additionally requires only a smidgen of context.
Of these 14 video games, solely three had been performed with Jayson Tatum, and of these three, Jaylen Brown was lacking for all of 1 sport (vs. the Knicks) and a lot of the one other (Spurs). The one sport the place the Celtics had a wholesome lineup was a win in opposition to the Thunder that ended their 16-game profitable streak.
There’s additionally the matter of clutch efficiency.
In the course of the previous season, the Celtics had been abysmal in clutch conditions. They had been 16-17, rating them nineteenth within the league. Clutch efficiency and efficiency in opposition to one of the best groups within the league go hand-in-hand. You might be sometimes not going to blow out one of many league’s high groups.
In 2024-25, Boston was one of the best staff within the league in clutch efficiency. They had been 24-11—showing in about as many clutch conditions as this 12 months’s staff—however that they had a number of benefits going for them, not the least of which was Jayson Tatum. Tatum was Boston’s main clutch scorer, and whereas the presence of Jrue Vacation and different veterans can’t be discounted by way of ‘protecting cool’ and organising the offense, the truth is that the Celtics misplaced 30% of their clutch scoring with Tatum’s damage. From final 12 months to this, Boston’s clutch scoring went from 10.0 factors within the last 5 minutes to eight.2.
Protection doesn’t actually enter into the image, as Boston’s clutch protection truly improved from the prior season to this one. Two seasons in the past, Boston was permitting 8.7 factors throughout clutch time, and that was down a whole level to only 7.7 this season.
The issue the Celtics had in opposition to one of the best groups within the league is mirrored of their struggles to attain throughout clutch conditions basically.
And that’s tied to the truth that the Celtics had been lacking Jayson Tatum.
It’s additionally tied to the relative inexperience of key rotation gamers for the Celtics.
For instance, second 12 months participant Baylor Scheierman appeared in 14 clutch conditions, and averaged two and a half minutes of clutch time play, which meant he was on the courtroom for half of the standard clutch situation in 14 of the staff’s 33 clutch video games. Neemias Queta, in his first 12 months as a starter, logged 2.6 minutes per sport in 25 appearances. Sam Hauser logged 2.6 minutes as effectively, in 22 appearances, and Jordan Walsh logged 2.2 minutes in 13 appearances.
Distinction that with the 2024-25 stats, which noticed Scheierman showing in simply two video games, Queta in 10, and Hauser in 13. Jordan Walsh appeared in just one clutch sport.
Now, that is probably an argument for the C’s bringing in an skilled veteran, however finally, if you wish to keep a contender on this wage cap period, you must develop your personal expertise, and which means placing them in difficult conditions and letting them develop. There’s a stability to be discovered right here, and there are personnel selections that have to be made based mostly on what guys like Mazzulla and Stevens see by way of the potential of those gamers, however with all this in thoughts, the principle factor going into subsequent season on the subject of clutch conditions is having a totally wholesome, absolutely built-in Jayson Tatum.
In his end-of-season wrap-up, Brad Stevens talked about that the C’s wanted to get higher first appears, and that the C’s wanted to get higher at attacking the rim. Now a powerful measure of that’s going to come back from a extra assured Jayson Tatum, however I feel a few of additionally it is going to come back from the expansion and growth of Hugo Gonzalez. I feel that, like Scheierman, he’s making ready for a sophomore leap.
Thoughts you, I feel the C’s would profit from a veteran addition—however I are likely to assume that smaller strikes will suffice.
We additionally want to speak about teaching.
However earlier than we do this, it’s good to recollect is that this was Joe Mazzulla’s fourth 12 months as a head coach — the fourth 12 months for a coach who isn’t but 38 years previous.
It’s a bit early, in my view, to declare him a ‘common season solely’ coach.
One of many issues about Mazzulla that I feel he must work on is the dichotomy between saying issues like, “there’s no distinction between a preseason sport, common season sport, playoff sport,” and shortening his rotation to the purpose the place key gamers from the common season barely noticed sufficient time on the courtroom to get right into a rhythm through the playoffs. The perspective is there, however the actions have to again it up.
I don’t assume that the C’s have to make main modifications within the teaching employees. I don’t essentially assume that the C’s have any weaknesses that may be cured by including completely different voices to the bench. I feel the weaknesses that had been on show within the C’s losses to the Sixers come all the way down to failure to prep and failure to regulate. Now including a talented X’s and O’s man would possibly assist considerably, however the essential factor isn’t bringing in an X’s and O’s man — it’s being prepared to take heed to that man when he’s saying one thing that goes in opposition to your first instincts. It’s additionally Mazzulla proudly owning the errors he made through the Sixers collection. From what I’ve seen, I don’t assume that’s going to be an issue.
The fact, from my perspective, is that the Celtics are loads nearer to the highest than sure stats from the common season point out—particularly their poor clutch play and their file in opposition to different contenders.
I additionally assume that one of the best takeaway from the first-round loss to the Sixers needs to be a wakeup name to Joe Mazzulla and I feel he’ll reply effectively to it. I don’t assume that this loss revealed main structural points with the lineup—however I do assume it revealed some flaws in Mazzulla’s strategy to playoff ball that he might need been in a position to shrug off after the loss to the Knicks final season.
Perceive, I’m not saying that no modifications have to be made to the roster or the teaching employees, however I’m saying that the precise modifications won’t be as drastic as those which were bandied about on this unexpectedly early low season.
