BOSTON — At shootaround before Game 3 of the second round, Jaylen Brown shrugged off a question about the Celtics’ playoff struggles at home. They had dropped Game 2 at TD Garden for the second straight series, but Brown would not accept that they had a problem. In the past, sure, Boston had trouble protecting the parquet. Brown said the Celtics were focused on changing that narrative.
The answer continued a pattern for him. When asked about previous seasons, he often chose to dismiss the connection to this version of the team. He didn’t fully explain why until the Celtics, after giving up almost all of a 21-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 3 of the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, regrouped to salvage a 106-99 win.
“All year long, we’ve been hearing about the Celtics of the past,” Brown said. “For the last six to eight months, that’s all we’ve been hearing is all the different shortcomings we’ve had in the past. This is a new team, you know what I mean. We’ve learned from those experiences. And in these moments, you can see that we learned from it.”
After Brown’s comment about his team’s performance in Boston, the Celtics completed the playoffs with seven straight wins at TD Garden, including Monday night’s Game 5 victory to earn them their first NBA championship since 2008. They only dropped one game on the road during that time while finishing the postseason with 11 wins in their final 12 games. As Brown said, they weren’t the same team. Years of heartache had molded them. A series of sharp roster moves had fortified them. Joe Mazzulla, with more time and experience as a young coach, had reshaped them.
“All of our adversity has made us stronger, made us tougher,” Brown said Tuesday after closing out the NBA Finals with a 106-88 win. “All season you could see it. We started from the jump. We made all the sacrifices. We played both ends of the ball at a high level. We didn’t skip any steps. And this was the result.”
Building a champion
When Brad Stevens replaced Danny Ainge as president of basketball operations in June 2021, Boston’s roster-building strategy evolved. Ainge had been holding tight to draft picks for years as he weighed whether to trade Tatum or Brown for a veteran star. While the team tried to put the right veterans in place, injuries to Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker made them come up just short. But by the time Stevens moved from head coach into the front office, the Jays were on their way to becoming franchise cornerstones and there was an opportunity to rebuild the supporting cast.
“I don’t actually think there was a big shift in philosophy in the types of players we were trying to acquire,” assistant GM Mike Zarren told The Athletic. “I think it was just a combination of it was really obvious it was time to shove more chips in, but more just some trades became available for players we always liked and we went and got them.”
Within weeks of his hiring, Stevens traded for Al Horford in what was widely viewed at the time to be a cost-saving move. He unloaded the injured Walker’s contract on the Oklahoma City Thunder, along with a first-round pick that ended up being promising Rockets big Alperen Şengün. Even though the pick materialized into a good player, Stevens maintained that the Celtics wanted to revive Horford’s career after it hit a lull following his initial departure from Boston.
While many believed Horford was on the verge of retirement, Stevens was right. Horford was rejuvenated in Boston, becoming the team’s starting center. The success of the Horford deal exemplified how targeting undervalued players who would embrace a supporting role could allow the Celtics to build a deep roster to complement Tatum and Brown.
That led to the Derrick White deal in February 2022, which included a risky top-1 protected pick swap heading to San Antonio in 2028. But the Celtics front office believed White was one of the most impactful players in the NBA and he was another personality who could seamlessly fit into the locker room.
“Danny and I talked about drafting Derrick. San Antonio just got to him before we did,” Zarren said. “From his second year until the time of the trade, we had inquired about him every single year. Their price was always just higher than we were willing to pay until the deal came along that we did.“
This season, he emerged as a near-all-star, made the All-Defensive second team alongside Jrue Holiday, and became one of the Celtics’ most relied-upon clutch shooters. It became apparent the front office wanted to build a locker room full of players who enjoyed fitting into their roles.
“Brad Stevens really tries to get great players, but also great individuals as people,” Celtics governor Steve Pagliuca said. “And it’s really paid off for us here.”
Horford, White and Holiday all have a reputation for embracing sacrifice for the group. Even Kristaps Porziņģis was acquired at a point in his career where he had been humbled and wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself.
“I told (Brown and Tatum) from Day 1, I’m coming in here to help you guys win,” Porziņģis, acquired in June 2023, told The Athletic before the finals. “That’s all I’m here for and whatever it takes. If it takes me sitting on the bench or coming off the bench or whatever, then I’m here for it.”
While Stevens was able to execute the trades the Ainge front office was unable to, trading Marcus Smart for Porziņģis. That deal came with a tremendous emotional cost and chemistry risk.
“It was a really difficult trade because trading Marcus wasn’t easy,” Zarren said. “But Kristaps added a dimension to the team that we just didn’t have.”
When Holiday was sent to Portland for Damian Lillard on Sept. 27, the Celtics called the Blazers to negotiate an offer that same day. They started talking on a Wednesday and the deal was announced by Sunday.
The surprise Holiday trade just before the start of this season’s training camp made the team complete on the court, but Boston also ensured every person surrounding Tatum and Brown had the personality to buy in. The front office was deliberate in the characters it brought into the group, often passing on bigger names to prioritize two-way versatility and spacing.
“At the beginning of their career, we were more focused on high-usage playmaking points guards,” Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge said. “We’ve shifted now as they’ve matured in their games as on-ball creators to guys that can play off the ball and defend like Derrick (White) and Jrue (Holiday).”
Boston was putting together the most talented team in the NBA, but where would their edge come from with Smart gone? The team believed Tatum and Brown were ready to uphold the team’s culture, in part from the growth spawned by a challenge from Smart himself after another crunch-time collapse in the fall of 2021.
“They don’t want to pass the ball and that’s something that they’re going to learn,” Smart said at that time. “They’re still learning and we’re proud of the progress they are making, but they are going to have to make another step and find ways to not only create for themselves but create for others on this team.”
This was a moment that could have caused a fissure in the locker room, but then-head coach Ime Udoka made sure Smart came to Brown and Tatum to work it out. By the second half of the season, the Celtics were suddenly morphing into a powerhouse in the league and made it to Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals. But as much as Tatum grew as a playmaker that year and Boston found its identity, the Warriors were able to disrupt it.
That loss, as well as Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last year, have been cited by Boston’s franchise pillars as their turning point. For Tatum, the Warriors taking him out of his game was a wake-up call to become the game manager he is today. Brown was haunted by the eight turnovers against Miami last year after Tatum sprained his ankle on the first play of the game, and came back this season with a revamped handle and defensive impact.
“I felt like the team was relying on me. JT got hurt in Game 7 and I dropped the ball,” Brown said last week. “To me, it was embarrassing. It drove me all summer. (It) drove me crazy.”
From the start of this season, there was a concerted effort by Tatum and Brown to redefine their offensive roles as choreographers first and scorers second. Brown in particular turned a corner by getting control of his handle and routinely making reads when he hit the paint. He frequently declared he wanted to make the All-Defensive team and often guarded opposing stars at a newfound cadence.
“Last year was a great learning experience. For one, to not take things for granted. You’re never promised to make it back to the finals,” Tatum said. “I think each and every person this year has come into the season with a different mindset. I think it has truly shown that we don’t take things for granted, and we approach every single day the same.”
After Udoka’s tumultuous departure, Stevens hired head coach Joe Mazzulla because he believed the young coach would carry on the growth mindset that was core to his coaching philosophy. After a trying debut season, a full summer to solidify his position and a fresh roster gave Mazzulla the tools he needed to mold the team in his image.
The Celtics coach preached the importance of open-mindedness. He wanted the team to shed expectations, which helped bring a level of consistency that had eluded the franchise before this season.
“We’re always trying to find guys who put winning first and that’s not always a static point. It’s a fluid thing, guys with different priorities at different points in their careers,” Ainge said. “This group makes it easy. They all just want to win.”
It allowed the Celtics to design an egalitarian system on both ends of the floor as Mazzulla sought to blur the lines between offense and defense. His soccer-laden philosophy saw basketball as a continuum, in which each end of the floor was influenced by the other. Defense was a byproduct of offensive spacing and shot selection.
Everyone on the Celtics could be the playmaker, making it easy for Boston to create open 3s throughout the game. The Celtics could initiate a possession through anyone in their starting five. Their bigs could play on the perimeter while their guards could play under the basket, so they could control the shape of the defense. Their commitment to that process was on display in Game 3 of the finals, when the Dallas stars kept attacking the paint while the Celtics steadily hit 3s and built a big enough lead to survive a comeback.
“They are not a team that changes,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “They are a team that makes you change.”
Stevens gifted Mazzulla with a roster that bought into his vision and could implement it. But for it all to work, Mazzulla had to find his voice as a leader.
Joe Mazzulla led the Celtics to an NBA title in his second full season as head coach in Boston. (Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
Mazzulla’s evolution
Horford first noticed the differences in Mazzulla when the Celtics started to assemble at the practice facility in the weeks before training camp.
For as much mettle as Mazzulla showed during his first season as head coach, he never had a chance to handle the job the way he wanted after unexpectedly taking over from Udoka. With a full offseason to prepare for his second campaign, Mazzulla had the time and opportunity to implement his changes. He tweaked how the Celtics operated daily in everything from their time in the weight room to their drills on the court. After feeling like the team focused too much on redemption for the 2022 finals loss, Mazzulla emphasized a more process-oriented culture.
To some extent, Mazzulla was living out Udoka’s vision last season, with many of Udoka’s assistants and a roster of players who believed in their former coach’s approach. This season brought the opportunity for Mazzulla to apply his own beliefs. With several new assistants, including Charles Lee, who would later agree to become the Hornets’ new head coach, Mazzulla shook up how the Celtics staff communicated. Instead of handing out individual tasks, he asked the assistants to work in groups of three and four. He called the new system a tribal approach to leadership. He promoted debate and empowered opinions. He wanted the staff to build a shared vision.
Mazzulla asked the team to do the same. He believed that if the players had a stake in choosing the traits they wanted to focus their culture around, they would be more likely to accept his messages when he preached those same values throughout the season. Together, the locker room decided on the pillars on which to build their season. Mazzulla shared those before opening the season with a win against the Knicks.
“Humility,” Mazzulla said. “Mindset. Toughness. Passion. Togetherness. Just be nasty.”
At least publicly, Mazzulla never felt comfortable being himself during his first season in charge. He had changed from a relatively anonymous assistant into one of the faces of the Celtics overnight. He learned the hard way every interaction he had would draw a reaction. Every word he sent would be received as a message. If he wasn’t explaining himself fully, people would infer what he meant. And they wouldn’t always be right. He began to share a bit more of himself. After wrapping up press conferences, he started to chat with reporters about what he considered the truth of the action on the court.
Behind the scenes, Mazzulla meshed what several players called “craziness” with a unique way of teaching game details. He often infused his off-the-court passion, martial arts, into his lessons. During the playoffs, Mazzulla gave each of the Celtics players a pair of boxing gloves.
“Don’t use them and don’t hurt yourself,” Mazzulla said, according to Jordan Walsh. “But be ready for the fight in the finals.”
Though Mazzulla had never been to the finals as a head coach, he said he had prepared himself since becoming an assistant by studying finals games dating back to the early 1990s. He wanted to know what separated teams at the highest level.
“That’s really the way that you ignore all the stuff that doesn’t matter,” Mazzulla said, “is you just get to the stuff that matters the most.”
Mazzulla used a similar philosophy with other aspects of the game. The Celtics’ crunch-time offense had been widely criticized. He and the staff studied the last five minutes of all close games across the NBA. They looked for patterns. They searched for what worked and what didn’t. In what the NBA defines as “clutch” moments, with a game within five points either way inside the final five minutes, the Celtics outscored opponents by 15.4 points per 100 possessions. They carried that success over into the playoffs while winning all six such postseason games.
Mazzulla, who believed the Celtics didn’t have enough other ways to win last season when their outside shots went missing, said they needed new ways to succeed. They ranked 14th in offensive rebounding, a jump from their 27th-place finish last season. They led the league in turnover rate. They led the league in avoiding opponent free-throw attempts. They were almost unbeatable at 36-1 when shooting at least 40 percent on 3-point attempts, but also went above .500 (14-13) when failing to shoot 35 percent. A test came in the Eastern Conference finals, when the Celtics shot 34.9 percent from 3. A similar cold stretch had doomed them in the same round last season. This time, they swept the Indiana Pacers anyway.
The Celtics had a loaded rotation, but maximized the talent with players who were willing to put individual agendas aside. White called Mazzulla a basketball genius for the way he taught the Boston players to operate as one. He told The Athletic his coach taught the Celtics how to “see the game at the next level.”
“He’ll stop things in shootaround and say, ‘If you did this and this, you could just see the game a little differently,’” White said. “And just (show us) how we can get that advantage.’”
Mazzulla asked the Celtics to think outside the box. Kidd paid their offense a great compliment after Game 3, saying that when they go hunting for a specific matchup, they get the guy they want in the action. White credited Mazzulla for showing the players how to expose an opponent’s vulnerability. The Celtics were able to manipulate defenses by thinking the game together.
“I just think the way he sees the game, the little tweaks, they might be unconventional, but it’s just a different way of thinking that I hadn’t been taught until I got here,” White said. “Just the little things like screening angles and stuff like that, that just make a big difference on make or miss or advantage or not an advantage. So just trying to get that advantage and keep it. And he’s just always all about the details.”
Mazzulla wasn’t just unconventional about on-the-court strategies. He sounded excited when the Celtics blew leads. He wanted them to experience difficult situations. He believed that if they embraced the lessons from every game, good and bad, any outcome would help them grow. They became the league’s most consistent team, leading the league in home record (37-4) and finishing one-half game back in away record (27-14). During the regular season, they went a league-best 17-9 against opponents with a top-10 net rating and a league-best 28-1 against those in the bottom-10.
The Celtics put together a historic resume while finishing fourth all-time in regular-season net rating. They then became the third team since 2000 to march through the playoffs with three losses or fewer.
Mazzulla smirked when asked if he cared whether some people would give him little credit because of all the talent on his roster.
“I think coaching is understanding that you can’t win without the players,” Mazzulla said. “I don’t care. I just want to win. I want to do it with good people, and we have an opportunity to do that.”
The Celtics should have the same nucleus back next season for another run at a title. (Grace Beal/NBAE via Getty Images)
Not done yet?
The Celtics’ opportunity could just be beginning. With Tatum, Brown, Porziņģis and White all still in their 20s, the core group promises to have staying power.
Around those players, the organization could run it back with minimal roster changes. Holiday inked a four-year, $135 million contract extension in April shortly before the beginning of the playoffs. Including him, the Celtics’ top eight players are all under contract for next season, though Boston could potentially allow Sam Hauser to become a restricted free agent to sign him to a long-term deal. Tatum and White, the only starters not currently under team control through at least the 2025-26 season, are eligible for contract extensions this summer. Horford, 38, and Holiday, 34, will need to continue adapting with age, but the Celtics should have a window to compete for championships in the near term as long as they stay healthy.
New obstacles will pop up, as they did for the Nuggets during their title defense. There’s no promise the Boston roster will mesh again the way it did this season. The Celtics have learned the hard way that team chemistry can be fragile.
As Mazzulla said regularly during the season, timing benefited the Celtics. They had the right players, at the right time in their careers, to build a special team. It took Brown six trips to the Eastern Conference finals, and two to the NBA Finals, to earn his first ring. He didn’t promise another one next season, but believes Boston should have another chance.
“I think we have an opportunity,” Brown said. “I think we definitely have a window. We take it one day at a time. We definitely have to make sure we stay healthy. But, you know, we’ll enjoy the summer, enjoy the moment, and then we get right back to it next year.”
(Top photo of Jayson Tatum: Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
