NBA Notebook: Mike Muscala adjusting to Celtics like others after trade deadline

PHILADELPHIA — The Celtics and 76ers made two of the most significant additions in recent trade deadline history last season when Boston added Derrick White in a series of moves that overhauled their bench and Philadelphia ended the Ben Simmons holdout by trading him for James Harden. Harden sat, recovering from a hamstring injury, as the Celtics beat his 76ers by 48 points several nights later. Doc Rivers announced before that game the Sixers didn't have much time to create rhythm and continuity between Harden and Joel Embiid, despite the relatively easy schematic insertion. It also took time for White to grow comfortable in Boston.

Rivers proved correct as Harden and Embiid only shared the floor 20 times into the spring before nearly squandering a 3-0 lead against the Raptors and falling in round two against the Heat. White struggled mightily in the NBA Finals and the Celtics lost in six games. White won his first player of the week before the all-star break and Harden led the NBA with 10.7 assists per game entering their first matchup in Philadelphia since that blowout after both teams opted for more minor additions at this deadline. Mike Muscala landed in Boston for Justin Jackson and picks while Jalen McDaniels arrived in Philadelphia with future second-round picks in a larger deal that sent Matisse Thybulle to Portland. Rivers saw the additions as more natural transitions. Less disruptive. Less costly. Yet potentially helpful if they can adjust quickly enough to their new roles. 

"It depends on the position and what they do," Rivers said describing deadline additions. "If they're one of your top two or three guys, that's hard. Now you're trying to integrate them. If they're a point guard. I would say Muscala and Jalen is easy in some ways, harder for them. Jalen has come in and is running the floor, he's defending, he's being active. He's one of those refreshing young energy guys that'll tell you, 'you don't need to run a play for me, I'll figure it out. I'll get it.' Muscala's the same way in that way. He'll play his role in pick-and-pop and make shots, so probably a little bit easier for (the team) integrating, but probably harder for them individually to find those spots." 

Muscala appreciated his four seasons in Oklahoma City and grew excited upon hearing he joined a championship-contending team with the Celtics. He arrived with a simple role on offense, hitting his first three-pointer in front of Boston's bench when the Hornets' defense collapsed on Jayson Tatum in the paint earlier this month. That marked the start of a 9-for-23 (39.1%) run from three for Muscala, who told Boston Sports Journal on Saturday that it's not difficult for a player like him to jump across different offenses in the league, aside from some new plays and terminology changing. 

Joe Mazzulla coached with the Celtics when they added Evan Fournier in 2021 and White last season. Those proved a more difficult transition as Fournier caught COVID upon arrival and missed significant time. White balanced off-court concerns with his first child on the way along with only knowing one NBA organization, the Spurs, prior to the shocking news that they dealt him one year ago. Muscala had been traded from Philadelphia to the Clippers to the Lakers in a short span within two days in February, 2019 before signing with the Thunder later that year. The Celtics added him intrigued by how his team-best defensive rating playing in drop coverages at the five for the Thunder could translate to a more switching-oriented defense in Boston. Brad Stevens wanted Boston to maintain different options to play big after they leaning in that direction beyond his coaching tenure. 

"Schematically, I'm just learning the positions that I'll be in and that I've been in with the Celtics ... I think I'll be challenged more on that end and be able to grow more," Muscala told BSJ. "Switching more on the ball and off-ball, and just making more reads when I'm at the four here. With OKC, I was usually playing the five, so we kind of had the same coverage every time. I came back a day or so early (to Boston after the break), but I just tried to get away and still work out a little bit, just clear my mind ... getting traded from Philadelphia to LA ... I have experience with it and that helps ... but I'm grateful for the opportunity in a new city and an organization ... we get to play basketball at the end of the day for a living, and that's a dream come true for me." 

Mazzulla called Muscala's transition seamless so far, enough to allow the Celtics to start him and lean on his aggressive shot attempts against the Bucks before he sat on the back end of the back-to-back against Detroit resting his right ankle, which he had surgery on less than one year ago. The Celtics' return to health landed after the break him on the bench for the team's wins over the Pacers and 76ers while Mazzulla made other difficult rotation decisions, like playing Grant Williams for only six minutes and favoring Sam Hauser and the core rotation players against Indiana. Muscala proved amicable to the decision, saying he enjoys locking in play-by-play on the bench. Something that might not have been the case with a more talented upgrade like Jakob Poetl. 

The stretch run calls for difficult decisions like balancing rest, the tight race for the east's No. 1 seed and acclimating different lineups, particularly ones with Muscala as the team grows more familiar with him. He only previously played with Al Horford in Atlanta, which Horford called a special time in his career, and Oklahoma City. Horford praised Muscala's team-oriented approach in conversations with BSJ about their time playing together. For others, like Grant ahead of his restricted free agency and Hauser, who lost his rotation spot briefly into the new year and regained it recently, Muscala provides a push.

"As frustrating as that can be sometimes, you've just got to keep a level head," Grant told BSJ. "Sometimes you've got to trust the staff and players around you, because we have a great team, a great team full of 15-17 guys that all can play. So there may be nights where I play 26 (minutes) and there might nights where I play five, there might be nights where I play 15. My focus is if we get the win. I'll voice my frustration in a loss, but when we get the win I'm more than happy." 

McDaniels played 14 minutes for Philadelphia against Boston in a smaller role than the one he settled into with a Hornets team that battled injuries all season. He had scored 26 points against the Celtics last month on 15 shot attempts in the second game of a mini series before the trade. He's averaging 4.0 shots each night with the 76ers, unloading three after three at shootaround and pre-game on Saturday as he prepares to space the floor for Harden and Embiid. While he only shot 32.2% from deep with Charlotte, he attempted 292 threes, a far greater volume than Thybulle did. 

The 76ers need his defense more though, and they positioned him on a variety of Celtics in Thursday's loss, including on Tatum, who shot 1-for-1 in their individual matchups after Boston's star tortured him with 40 points on 15-for-26 shooting through their first three meetings. While McDaniels found himself on an island against Tatum while he scored 51 points in Charlotte, he played with Embiid behind him this time as the Sixers held Tatum to a 7-for-17 night and can play behind others to provide that same protection even if he's not defending stars on-ball. A relief for the 25-year-old joining the league's seventh-best defense ahead of his own free agency. 

"J-Mac, he helps a lot, on the defensive tip especially," 76ers big man Paul Reed told BSJ at shootaround. "Having another 6-9 dude out there, it kind of makes it easier for us to secure rebounds, running dudes off the line knowing we got help on the back side. I think it really discourages the ball-handlers from driving to the rim, because they know I'm down there, we got J-Mac, he's 6-9, long, so it'll make it tougher for the offense on the other team." 

Here's what else happened in the NBA this week... 

Atlanta (30-30): Fired head coach Nate McMillan after a 99-80 record over three seasons with the Hawks, including a trip to the east finals in 2021. Shams Charania previously reported strife between Trae Young and his second head coach, following the 2020-21 firing of Lloyd Pierce following similar circumstances, along with McMillan's desire to step down and Young's teammates siding with the coach. Interim coach Joe Prunty led a 136-119 win over the Cavaliers that kept Atlanta in the east's eighth seed for now as they discuss an $8-million average annual deal with former Jazz coach Quin Snyder. Marc Stein reported the Hawks assessed Ime Udoka for the position before focusing on Snyder, who is assessing the team's future plans. 

Boston (44-17): Returned to full health and scored wins over the Pacers and 76ers to remain atop the east, highlighted by Jayson Tatum's game-winner in Philadelphia on a set play similar to the one that tied an October game between the Celtics and Cavaliers. Tatum won MVP of the All-Star Game with a record 55 points on 22-for-31 shooting while Jaylen Brown tried to rally Team LeBron with a team-high 35 points on 16-for-27 efficiency in a game widely criticized for low effort and sloppiness, drawing relatively low ratings. Brown and Tatum returned shooting 37-for-87 (42.5%) in their first two games back. 

Brooklyn (34-25): Extended head coach Jacque Vaughn through the 2026-27 season after an encouraging 32-20 start since taking over for Steve Nash, who the team fired within seven games of the season starting. Vaughn endured losing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, currently maintaining the team's status as a five seed, losing ground on the rival Knicks after a horrible 131-87 loss to a struggling Bulls team. Brooklyn lost 3-of-4 and shut down Ben Simmons, who missed the loss to Chicago with left knee soreness and will sit out Sunday against Atlanta after undergoing a PRP injection. 

Charlotte (19-43): Won their fourth straight game over the Heat behind a dominant effort from 21-year-old big man Mark Williams, who scored 18 points and grabbed 20 rebounds for the first time by a Hornets rookie since Alonzo Mourning in 1993. Williams is averaging 11.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 1.8 BPG while shooting 63.8% from the field since the Mason Plumlee trade allowed him to take over as the team's starter following sparse minutes early in the season. Hornet free agent Miles Bridges, appearing at a Michigan State game this week, told the AP he could return to the Hornets in March after he pleaded no contest late last year to multiple domestic violence charges. The NBA is investigating the matter, Charlotte GM Mitch Kupchak said. 

Chicago (27-33): Signed Patrick Beverley after missing out on Russell Westbrook in the buyout market and started the Chicago native in his first game, leading to a fast start and 59-28 lead in the eventual blowout win over the Nets. The Bulls broke their six-game losing streak and pulled 1.5 games behind the Raptors in the East playoff picture. Chris Haynes reported the next step for Lonzo Ball, who continues to struggle with left knee pain preventing his meniscus rehab from progressing, is receiving a PRP injection. The Bulls ruled Ball out for the second consecutive season last week.

Cleveland (38-25): Lost three straight games in their return from the all-star break to Philadelphia, Denver and Atlanta, allowing the Nets and Knicks to remain within 2.5 games of their home-court advantage seed in the east. The streak also dropped them 7.0 games behind the Celtics for the east's top seed with 19 games to play. Donovan Mitchell only scored 41 points combined over their latest two losses and blamed himself for struggling to get Evan Mobley the ball late in his 31-point effort against the Nuggets. Chris Fedor also reported that a strained relationship between Kevin Love and the Cavs led to his buyout last week. 

Cleveland faces the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday in their first meeting since November with a 2-0 record against them. 

Dallas (32-29): Only Luka Dončić scored double-figures among Mavericks starters in the team's first game back from the break, a loss to the Nuggets, before Kyrie Irving returned from lower back tightness to combine for 51 points with Dončić in a win over the Spurs. Irving becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Lakers can clear space for him if they desire, but executives who spoke to Bleacher Report expect him to stay in Dallas. 

"Kyrie's goal in pushing out of Brooklyn was to get his rights with a team willing to pay him," one source said. "Dallas is where he'll want to be."

Denver (42-19): Nikola Jokić only served three assists in a poor showing for the Nuggets against the No. 2 seed Grizzlies, who pulled within 5.0 games with the win. Denver beat Dallas and Cleveland in the first two games back from the break, receiving 24 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists from Jokić in a dazzling display on the second half of a back-to-back. Michael Porter Jr. is quietly piecing together a healthy and effective finish to the season, scoring 16.8 PPG on 40.6% three-point shooting, and a bond between Jokić and Aaron Gordon, a disappointed all-star snub, drove this team to hopeful NBA Finals status. Jamal Murray, returning from six games off with right knee inflammation, shot 3-for-13 against Memphis after scoring 16 points at Cleveland. 

Detroit (15-46): Marvin Bagley III (hand fracture) returned from a 20-game absence to score 21 points with 18 rebounds in a low-scoring loss to the Raptors that kept the Piston in play for the league's worst record as the lottery race heats up. The Rockets and Spurs sit tied at the bottom of the league after a 16-game San Antonio losing streak, while Detroit dropped four straight to maintain the same odds as the other two under the newer system. They signed R.J. Hampton, the former No. 24 overall pick in 2020, for the rest of the season after the Magic waived the guard following three seasons. 

Golden State (30-30): Allowed 124 points in a poor showing following the all-star break, receiving much of their scoring from Klay Thompson and Ty Jerome as their injury-riddled and inconsistent season extends into the stretch run. A win over the Rockets led by 12 threes from Thompson pulled them within 1.5 games of Dallas above the play-in tournament line with the sixth seed though. Andrew Wiggins missed both games and will remain out indefinitely due to a family matter. Steph Curry (leg) will be reevaluated this week after missing the last seven games and returning to the court last week. 

"We know we are going to be without Steph for the foreseeable future, so same thing as what happened the last time he went down ... we patch things together," Steve Kerr said.

Indiana (27-35): They look intriguing again after wins over the Bulls and Magic, back-to-back Tyrese Haliburton games with 14 assists and a comeback down double-digits in the second half to force overtime against Boston. Myles Turner hit 8-of-10 shots from three to lead the Pacers to 138 points against a fully healthy Celtics team and Bennedict Mathurin jawed with Jaylen Brown in the fourth quarter as the teams traded runs. Indiana sits 2.5 games back of the final postseason spot and their 25-25 record when Haliburton plays this season would position them as the eighth seed if they carried out that percentage over the entire season. 

Clippers (33-29): Scored 175 points and lost to the Kings in a thrilling debut for Russell Westbrook, who signed with the team after completing his buyout with the Jazz last week. Westbrook scored 17 points, served 14 assists, committed seven turnovers and fouled out of the double overtime track meet in an empowered effort, helping generate 78 points for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as a starter. The Clippers won his minutes by three points and he looked like an immediate upgrade over Reggie Jackson and John Wall. His start moved Terance Mann to the bench after a successful run. The loss marked the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, behind 370 points between the Nuggets and Pistons in 1983. 

"It's about what I imagined," George said. "The reason why I was high on Russ being a part of this team was because of what he brings, and you saw the flashes of it tonight."

Lakers (28-32): D'Angelo Russell sprained his right ankle stepping on the foot of a Warriors defender and did not return to an important win after the all-star break for the Lakers that pulled them 1.5 games behind the No. 10 seed Pelicans. Russell will likely miss Sunday's game against Dallas too, but is considered day-to-day. Malik Beasley scored 25 points in their win against Golden State while five Lakers scored double-figures off the bench. 

Miami (32-29): Signed Kevin Love and Cody Zeller, who both debuted and struggled in a blowout loss to the Bucks that marked Miami's fourth straight defeat, plunging them into play-in status in the east behind the Knicks. They're now closer to the No. 8 Hawks in the standings after a 108-103 loss to the Hornets where Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro combined to score 61 points. Love added 13 points and 13 rebounds in a spot start, but the Heat received next to nothing from their bench as a stagnant offense continues to undermine their season. Kyle Lowry (knee), who last played Feb. 2, remains without a timeline to return. Omer Yurtseven (ankle), who hasn't played this season, could return with the Heat's G-League affiliate as soon as this week. 

Milwaukee (42-17): Tied in the loss column for the east's top seed after scoring their 13th straight win against the Heat after Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) exited in the first quarter. Jrue Holiday led a 128-point Bucks effort with 24 and Jae Crowder added nine over 16 minutes in his Milwaukee debut off the bench. Bobby Portis shined in his return from an MCL sprain, scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds to power the second unit. Antetokounmpo, who already suffered a wrist injury before the all-star break, is considered day-to-day entering Bucks-Suns, which he'll likely miss. 

Minnesota (31-31): Struggled offensively against the Wizards and gave up 20 points to three Hornets players in another loss that dropped the Wolves into a three-way tie for seventh in the east with Utah and Golden State. They're in danger of missing the playoffs entirely with a team like the Lakers emerging as a postseason contender after the all-star break, even with Rudy Gobert beginning to post double-double productivity. Anthony Edwards plays each night and provides most of their scoring punch, but whatever intangibles they hoped Mike Conley would provide above D'Angelo Russell haven't translated to wins yet as the Wolves miss that threat at the point of attack. Conley scored 0 points against Washington. 

New Orleans (30-31): Battered by Jakob Poetl and Pascal Siakam before struggling to score against the Knicks and dropping their third straight game. Between Zion Williamson's (hamstring) continued absence, the slow Brandon Ingram recovery and a Lakers pick swap that may not even convey if LA makes the postseason, this year is beginning to look like a major lost opportunity for a team that had a legitimate finals dream early in the year. They've lost 18-of-25 in the new year and rank 24th in offense over that stretch with a -4.8 net rating, the fifth-worst mark over that stretch. They're not good. 

New York (35-27): Host the Celtics on Monday winners over five straight over the Jazz, Nets, Hawks, Wizards and Pelicans before visiting Boston on Sunday in games that could preview a playoff series between the league's longest standing rivals who haven't met in 10 years in a postseason series. Julius Randle scored 20 points in all but one of those wins, making up for it with 46 in 36 minutes against Washington. RJ Barrett found a playmaking role in the latest victory against New Orleans, serving seven assists with his 25 points as he keeps searching for a consistent role on offense. 

They're unlikely to buy out Derrick Rose, who has played once since the new year began and reportedly is drawing interest from the Suns. 

Oklahoma City (28-31): Lost a potentially important game in the west playoff race to the Jazz despite 39 points and seven assists from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who sat during the Thunder's ensuing loss to the Suns. They remain 1.5 games back of a playoff spot ahead of two games against the Kings, a Lakers matchup and a Jazz mini series that could effectively decide their fate. The Mike Muscala trade seemed to signal which direction the team prefers, but the players showed at times this season a readiness to take a step forward into the play-in tournament. They've won 13-of-23 in 2023. 

Orlando (25-36): Likely lottery bound with 21 games remaining and facing a 4.0 game deficit in the race for the 10th seed. They made up serious ground in 2023 by winning 12-of-24, including against the Pistons after the break when Wendell Carter Jr. finished a last-second tip to secure 14 points and 14 rebounds. They currently hold the fifth-best lottery odds despite a seven-game advantage over the fourth-worst Hornets in the standings, only a 2% difference in odds for the No. 1 overall pick. The Magic might not mind landing likely No. 2 pick Scoot Henderson over Victor Wembanyama either given their playmaking needs.

Philadelphia (39-20): Lost a third straight meeting against the Celtics after James Harden finished 2-for-7 in the fourth quarter, missing all four of his jump shots as the 76ers fell 4.0 games behind the east's top seed. They meet again on Apr. 4 and Joel Embiid successfully found his scoring touch and consistent free throw attempts against old rivals Al Horford and Grant Williams, but he also grew fatigued into the fourth quarter and a full-court heave that left his hand less than one second too late splashed in what would've been a season highlight for this group. They have to fear this matchup though. Georges Niang, looking back at last season in a local radio appearance, lamented the impact Ben Simmons' holdout had on the team. 

"Well, Ben Simmons kind of handicapped us at the beginning of last year," Niang said. "I wasn't going to say it, but you know what I mean." 

Phoenix (33-28): Moved up to home-court advantage position in the west as the fourth seed before Kevin Durant debuted, which is expected to come on Wednesday at the Hornets despite anticipated games against the Thunder and Bucks over the weekend. Durant last played on Jan. 8 and took part in what Brian Windhorst described as the team's most intense practice of the season last week, which the team wanted to assess how he responded to. Devin Booker scored 25 points against Oklahoma City and improved Phoenix to 3-1 since he returned from groin injury, though he's shooting 23.3% 3PT. Durant and company face Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks next week on Mar. 5 in Dallas. The team signed Ish Wainwright for two years, $2.5 million. 

Portland (28-31): The only fun development after the break after a rare snowstorm grounded the Trail Blazer's flight to Sacramento to lose by 17 points to the Kings: Damian Lillard leading a music video on the plane. Portland trails the No. 10 seed Pelicans by 1.0 game with 23 games remaining. Lillard later delivered a plea for the team to turn it on now ahead of the stretch run.

“It has to happen now,’’ Lillard said. “The urgency has to pick up. This is it.’’ 

Sacramento (34-25): The Kings own the best offensive rating in NBA history (118.8), passing the 2020-21 Nets with their deadly De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis two-man game that the league can't solve. Their 176-175 win over the Clippers in double overtime saw them receive 42 points and 12 assists from Fox, 20 points from Sabonis and 45 from Malik Monk. They scored 43 points in the fourth quarter to force the extra period against a tough LA defense. They trail the No. 2 seed Grizzlies by only 2.0 games as they tear toward their first appearance since 2006. They signed PJ Dozier. 

Toronto (30-31): They largely played without a center since 2021 after the departures of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol until Jakob Poetl returned at the trade deadline. Now, Poetl is averaging 16.5 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 2.0 SPG and 2.8 BPG on 73.2% shooting during a four-game win streak that propelled the Raptors back into the postseason picture. They trail Atlanta by 0.5 games for a spot in the upper tier of the play-in tournament and Miami by 2.0 games for the No. 7 seed, which appears attainable. When Poetl plays, through five games, they're outscoring opponents by 13.5 points per 100 possessions. 

Utah (31-31): Lauri Markkanen scored 43 points after staying home in Salt Lake City as an All-Star Game starter to declare the Jazz aren't done yet. He hit a game-winning free throw with 4.6 seconds remaining after scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter to force the extra frame against the Thunder, a chief rival for the final spot in the play-in tournament. They'll meet three more times before the season ends, including a mini series next week. Kris Dunn, signed to a 10-day contract, scored 15 points and served eight assists in his second game with Utah, a win over the Spurs. He last played in the NBA during April, 2022.

Washington (28-31): Bradley Beal spoke to Marc Spears as another disappointing Wizards season comes down to a tight race for a play-in tournament spot. He previewed a potential end of his time in Washington at some point, but wouldn't commit to such a decision yet. He also discussed Jayson Tatum's ascent and watching his long-time friend compete in the NBA Finals last summer with the Celtics. 

“I’m patient, but there comes a time where you have to be a little selfish and draw a line in the sand, for sure,” Beal said. “So, I have thoughts in my head but at the same time I stay in the moment. I stay engaged with what we have and what we do and don’t get caught up in noise and just go from there, take it a day at a time, control what I can control.”