NBA Notebook: Joe Mazzulla earned staying power as Celtics head coach despite playoff disappointment

Joe Mazzulla fought to keep the focus on Game 5. 

In a turbulent moment for the team following Game 4, including Jayson Tatum's apparent Achilles rupture at the time, and the team moving to within one loss from elimination, Boston's head coach focused post-game on preparing the Celtics to win Game 5 at home and save their season. They did, routing the Knicks, 127-102, behind extra minutes from Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet's vintage Celtics performance. Jaylen Brown led the offense admirably, not doing too much and securing a 10-2 record when Tatum missed games last season. It provided a window into how Boston could stay afloat into a daunting season Tatum will miss most of, if not all.

"I haven't really thought one second of that," Mazzulla said, asked about the year ahead. "More just focused on the guys in that locker room right now, and grateful for the effort and what they put through. That's really all that matters." 

Mazzulla reportedly enters this offseason facing some uncertainty as well. According to Shams Charania's report on Mazzulla's extension in 2023, and a recent radio appearance by Gary Washburn, the 2025-26 season will mark Mazzulla's final one under contract with the Celtics. That will inevitably lead to extension talks between the two sides at some point this offseason once Boston's ownership transition finalizes and Brad Stevens addresses crucial roster decisions closer to the NBA Draft. Mazzulla's future should become as much of a priority as the other work, though. Despite a significant share of the blame for Boston's second-round collapse falling on the head coach, Mazzulla continued to prove beneficial to the Celtics' success rather than an ancillary factor on a loaded roster, or the detriment some might see him as.

Winning the championship in 2024 alone should secure Mazzulla additional long-term standing in Boston. But it's not just about that. An extension should come with expectations for growth and adapting to what will become a more challenging environment to succeed in given the roster upheaval expected this summer and Tatum's absence. Yet winning short-handed became the staple of Mazzulla's past two regular seasons. The team went 15-4 without Brown this season after an undefeated 2024 (12-0) when he sat. They managed 30-9 when Al Horford sat over the past two seasons, won 31-of-40 without Kristaps Porziņģis this year alone and 14-of-20 without Jrue Holiday. When Luke Kornet started, Boston took 12-of-16. Even Neemias Queta went 5-1 as a starter while Porziņģis sat early on. 

"It's a great gift to know when you have guys out, you still feel like the expectation is to win because of the type of people who you have," Mazzulla said in April. "When you call timeout and you need a basket, you know you can go to a bunch of guys." 

That's what made Mazzulla's approach against the Knicks puzzling. Mazzulla and the Celtics lauded their depth, development of different lineups and play styles throughout the season as proof of their belief that Boston had a better season than their championship run the year prior. Then, to begin Game 1 against New York, Sam Hauser did not play in the first half before entering cold in the third quarter and missing two threes badly before falling with an ankle injury. In Game 2, Horford replaced Porziņģis in the starting lineup after illness symptoms forced Porziņģis to miss the second half of Game 1, but Luke Kornet logged only five second-half minutes before Horford needed to play the final 12 minutes in the fourth quarter, where he shot 1-for-6. Boston collapsed again, and missed 13 straight shots at one point while the Celtics only made two substitutions and called one timeout. The play calls late in the losses, leading to two decisive turnovers and other bad shots, left much to be desired. 

Brad Stevens later admitted the hole that 0-2 start in the series created put Boston in a position where it needed to play perfectly the rest of the way, and despite a standout Pritchard performance in Game 3, the Celtics tightened their rotation again in Game 4 late and played c for seven minutes in the fourth quarter as Boston faded after leading by 14 points in the third. That's despite plenty of evidence that the illness limited him to playing as a small percentage of himself at full strength, and two nights later, the Celtics sat him after halftime again because Mazzulla said he couldn't breathe. Pritchard strangely fell to 20 minutes in Game 4 despite his contributions leading to a win two nights prior. By the time Tatum went down, OG Anunoby running for a dunk and a nine-point lead with three minutes left, Boston effectively blew the series already. It should go down as one of the NBA's greatest upsets. But it shouldn't be the end of Mazzulla's story here. 

An extended run from Kornet saved the Celtics' season in Game 5, setting up a spot start in Game 6. Too little, too late. Mazzulla, a coach who had earned the team's respect and trust from the organization, fell into using foul trouble as an excuse to alter his rotations and remained deferential to Porziņģis despite the big man not giving the Celtics the best chance to win. Phasing out Neemias Queta later in the year took him off the table as an option. Torrey Craig played next to no postseason minutes despite joining the team due to being impressed by Mazzulla's coaching. Attempts to develop depth further down the depth chart during the year did not translate to postseason contributions despite Tatum missing time, Brown playing through a partial meniscus tear, Porziņģis through illness, and Hauser missing three games with an ankle sprain. 

"That's not something he would want," Mazzulla said of shutting Porziņģis down in a radio interview earlier this month. "At the end of the day, if he has the ability to impact the game for however long he can, he wants to do that. That's what's necessary for the team right now."

The three-point reliance, the most common public criticism of Mazzulla, bothered me less. Taking the first open three quickly led to the Celtics setting historic lows for offensive turnover rate over the past two seasons. Giving the ball away cost Boston the 2022 championship and derailed them in 2023. His coaching staff oversaw the minimization of the Celtics' worst offensive habits, though an obsessive focus on matchup-hunting slowed them down at times this year despite players preaching pace. Play-calling highs and a layered offensive attack from 2024 diminished into one action to set up a matchup more often in 2025. Boston did not accomplish its goal of forcing more turnovers as an offensive outlet despite finishing as one of the best defenses in the league again. The Celtics, instead, employed a bend-don't-break approach where they aimed to funnel the ball to the opposing team's worst shooter and increase that player's attempts. Josh Hart burned them in the playoffs (37.9% 3PT). 

While all that may not point toward believing in Mazzulla's ability to lead the franchise forward, beyond the adjustment, temperamentally, to withstanding more losses than he did through the first three seasons of his career (his back-and-forth with a reporter following Game 1 where he chalked up the loss to makes-and-misses by the Knicks and Celtics was a low moment), Mazzulla only turns 37 this summer. The players, collectively, bought into his philosophies despite some initial doubt in 2023, and even found themselves repeating his mantras publicly. Following losses, the team remained on the same page with their messaging. The pain of a second-round exit didn't reveal any fracturing in the locker room. Instead, the Tatum injury pulled the team together for one more win, then left players devastated over the prospect of potentially not returning next year. Many expressed a hope that they can run it back. That should include the head coach. 

"Yeah, Joe's great, Joe's done a good job. I don't think anyone in coaching ever thought it was certain, uncertainty is what you sign up for in some ways," Stevens said. "There are so many things that go into winning and losing, coaching is part of it, right? But playing circumstances, injuries, whatever the case may be, there are so many things. I know how hard their jobs are, I felt for Taylor (Jenkins) and for Mike (Malone after they were fired), and obviously talked to both of them, but every year good coaches get let go, and they're way better than everybody talks about ... but that's the reality of our situation, because that's the way the world works ... but yeah, we're lucky that we have Joe here, we're lucky that we have Joe here, we're lucky that we have the staff we have here and we're thankful." 

Next season will present countless challenges, whether transitioning bench players into starting roles, rebuilding the offense around Brown's strengths and weaknesses, should he return and relying on younger, less proven contributors for larger minutes. Fortunately, Mazzulla and his staff laid a solid groundwork for rookie Baylor Scheierman, who played significant minutes late last year after a G-League stint. Two-way wings Drew Peterson and Miles Norris also learned the Celtics' system in Maine, while Pritchard's breakout season presented a case that he could start should Holiday depart this summer. Queta is signed for two more years after making progress and spot starts into his second season with Boston, while the Celtics own the No. 28 and 32 picks in next month's NBA Draft. 

Replacing Tatum's impact will prove impossible. A step back next year is all but certain. Horford, a rock for the franchise since 2017, could decide to retire this summer. All those developments call for as much continuity as possible, and the Celtics' head coach, who formed an expectation to win no matter the circumstances over the past three years, should oversee the beginning of the next era in Boston history. Beyond that, he already knows there's nothing promised in the NBA. Even after an extension. 

"That's coaching," Mazzulla said in April. "You sign up knowing that, and again, (Malone) was 10 years (in Denver)? That's a lot. You hope for stuff like that. You hope for a situation of stability to be somewhere for as long as you have, and when it's your time, it's your time. But I think you focus more on the fact that he was able to be there for 10 years. Not many coaches get to do that ... you hope for that, but not everybody gets that opportunity. I wake up every day, and I find a balance of, it's part of what motivates me, but I wake up every day saying this could be my last day, because it gives you gratitude. It also keeps you hungry. You have to have a healthy balance of, you want this for as long as you can. At the same time, you're very much replaceable because that's just how it works. Every day, I remind myself of my own mortality." 

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

Boston: Jrue Holiday appeared in multiple reports connecting him to the Dallas Mavericks, who will search for a point guard as Kyrie Irving's injury recovery continues into 2025-26, and the Clippers, who pursued him in 2023 before Boston acquired him. Holiday's three-year, $104 million deal could prove challenging to trade as it ends with a player option entering his age-37 season. The Celtics would also need to complete several trades to move below the second apron line, which they're roughly $20 million above at the moment. Boston has until the trade deadline to make the necessary moves to dodge apron and luxury tax penalties for 2025-26. They're currently in line to pay $238.2 million in tax between their current commitments due to their repeater tax status. They need to avoid the tax for two seasons to shed that designation.

Brooklyn: Will have a drastic impact on the restricted free agent market as the only team with significant cap space to prepare an offer sheet. The Athletic reported the Nets will not pursue Warriors wing Jonathan Kuminga, though it's unclear whether they'll have interest in Quentin Grimes, Josh Giddey or others, though that also seems unlikely. Cam Thomas also enters restricted free agency this summer, while teams could bid assets for the chance to move off salary into Brooklyn's cap space. Restricted free agents who don't field an offer sheet from the Nets will likely get squeezed by the lack of available cap space in this year's market, though sign-and-trade opportunities also allow them to put pressure on their teams. Any team that remains below the first apron can execute a sign-and-trade, which also includes Brooklyn. 

Charlotte: Reportedly had an excellent interview with Baylor wing VJ Edgecombe, who has gained momentum as one of the top prospects in next month's NBA Draft. Some evaluators have argued in favor of Edgecombe, a 6-5 freshman who averaged 15.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.2 APG and 2.1 SPG in 2025, should receive consideration alongside former consensus top-three picks Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey from Rutgers. The Hornets fell to the fourth overall pick despite finishing with the third-worst record in the NBA last season. 

Cleveland: Will need to decide whether they'll keep their Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley core together after a second straight second-round exit. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said on a podcast appearance that there's a framework in place for a deal between the Cavs and Magic that would swap Garland and Orlando guard Jalen Suggs. Cleveland is willing to consider trades for Garland and Allen this offseason, Fedor said. The Cavs currently have a $56.9 million projected luxury tax bill for 2026 for 11 players. They're $5.1 million over the second apron, so they cannot currently aggregate multiple players in trades. 

Dallas: Marc Stein reported they'll explore a Jrue Holiday or Lonzo Ball trade alongside signing Chris Paul to sustain through Kyrie Irving's absence. Irving is expected to miss the start of next season through at least January after tearing his ACL on March 3. Only Jaden Hardy and Brandon Williams currently play point guard on the current roster, with secondary facilitating from Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall. Dallas is $12.7 million below the second apron line, but No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg will sign for close to $14 million next month. That makes the Holiday trade challenging as Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington, both playing on expiring contracts, would need to go alongside a third player. That wouldn't save Boston significant money and would put the Mavs in a roster crunch. Ball makes $10 million to begin a two-year extension with a second-year team option. Paul, who played for $10.5 million in San Antonio last season, could join for a mid-level or minimum salary. 

Denver: Parted ways with former Michael Malone assistants Ryan Saunders, Popeye Jones, Charles Klask and Stephen Graham, whose contracts expired after 2025. New head coach David Adelman will now get the chance to completely reshape the team's coaching staff after asserting the need for better conditioning in his first statement since the team removed the interim tag earlier this month. 

"Teams that get off to great starts usually at the end of the year have the best chance of being healthy in these big games," said Adelman. "But, yeah, that will be the expectation to come back in much better shape."

Golden State: Aforementioned challenges for restricted free agents could draw Jonathan Kuminga back to the Warriors, but both sides will need to decide whether reuniting is best after Golden State and Kuminga struggled to create a consistent role for him throughout his rookie deal. Kuminga, The Athletic reported, sees all-star potential for himself and wants a more prominent role. The Warriors, who have some say by executing a sign-and-trade that would secure his exit, still see him returning and addressing his future later as the most likely outcome. Kuminga also reportedly hasn't closed the door on embracing coming back. The team is currently $25.0 million below the first apron between nine players and $17.4 million under the tax line. Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney and Pat Spencer also enter free agency in July. Brandin Podziemski underwent left wrist surgery this week and is expected to be ready for training camp in the fall. 

Indiana (lead 3-2 vs. NYK): Tyrese Haliburton pulled off one of the best playoff performances in Pacers and NBA history to pull Indiana within one win of its first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. He scored 32 points in 38 minutes with 12 rebounds and 15 assists while committing 0 turnovers, with the 15:0 AST/TOV stat line Rick Carlisle observed likely to become dubbed The Haliburton one day. He had already pulled off 10 during the regular season over the past four years, Tuesday's feat becoming his first in the playoffs. Pascal Siakam added 30 points while Bennedict Mathurin scored 20 in only 12 minutes off the bench to secure the 130-121 win despite the Knicks dominating the boards. Aaron Nesmith sprained his Sunday's Game 3 loss but returned later and played through it in the following two games. Carlisle went away from him in Game 5, as the Knicks jumped out to a 20-point lead and held on to force a Game 6 in Indiana on Saturday night at 8 p.m. 

Jarace Walker played 13 experimental minutes and shot 2-of-4 from three, while depth center Tony Bradley (hip) left the loss and did not return. He's questionable for Game 6, raising a depth question for the Pacers with other backup big Thomas Bryant proving ineffective while nursing his own hand ailment earlier in the series. 

Clippers: Reportedly interested in Jrue Holiday after unsuccessfully pursuing him in 2023. LA faces a more difficult financial path to acquiring him this time, especially if James Harden opts out of his $36.3 million player option and pursues a pay bump. If he opts in, the Clippers are $15.1 million beneath the luxury tax line between 12 players. They would likely trade four players, Bogdan Bogdanović, Kris Dunn or Derrick Jones Jr., Drew Eubanks and a minimum salary like Cam Christie's to match Holiday's $32.4 million. All those players going back to Boston would fill the Celtics' roster while LA inevitably will pay luxury tax to re-fill its own roster, making this a challenging trade to complete for both sides. If Dunn is included, Boston would bring back four players effectively playing on one-year deals, which provide more flexibility. Law Murray, who covers the Clippers for The Athletic, considers a Holiday trade unlikely. 

Milwaukee: Brian Windhorst said on ESPN that Giannis Antetokounmpo could prefer to stay in the East if he pursues a trade, given that it would provide him a better chance to win. For that reason, Windhorst did not rule out the Celtics and Knicks as preferred destinations for the star despite the cap challenges both teams would face to executing a trade. A Jaylen Brown-for-Giannis deal, for example, does not work since Antetokounmpo makes roughly $1 million more than Brown. Boston also cannot aggregate multiple salaries to match Antetokounmpo's money, so the Celtics would either need to execute other trades that get them below the apron or complete a larger deal that would finish with Boston below that line. They'd then be hard-capped at the second apron for the entirety of next season. For the Knicks, moving off Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns would be necessary to add Antetokounmpo, and if the Nets are potentially involved in the race for him, all suitors would lose Brooklyn as a facilitator for the trade. That said -- if any team decides it wants to trade for Antetokounmpo, who's signed long-term, they can make it happen. 

Bucks star Damian Lillard, who's also beginning his Achilles recovery, sent love to Jayson Tatum on social media. They'll miss most of next season concurrently. 

Minnesota (lost 1-4 vs. OKC): Anthony Edwards scored only 16 points in 38 minutes as the Timberwolves fell badly in the conference finals for the second straight year, Minnesota falling behind by 30 points in the first half before trailing by as many as 39 in Game 5. Edwards finished the series averaging 23.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 4.6 APG on 47.1% shooting (28.2% 3PT). In Game 4, he managed only two shot attempts in the first half before finishing 5-for-13 in 40 minutes. While the back-to-back deep playoff runs signify a success for Edwards, still only 23, and a Wolves team that's experienced little success throughout its history, the individual letdowns and the impact losing the ball had on Edwards' effort at times this season will make him one of the summer's most scrutinized stars. Minnesota will now need to address Julius Randle ($30.9M PO) and Naz Reid's ($15.0M PO) futures, and could circle back to their reportedly serious Kevin Durant pursuit from before the trade deadline. 

New Orleans: A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles accused Pelicans star Zion Williamson of rape and domestic violence against a woman he allegedly dated for five years beginning at Duke. It alleged that Williamson raped and beat her in several instances, alongside a pattern of “abusive, controlling, and threatening behavior" before the relationship ended in 2023. Williamson, through his lawyers, denied the allegations, considering them an extortion attempt and said they never dated, but had a "consensual, casual relationship.” The allegations come as Williamson's future with the Pelicans would've already come into question under new president Joe Dumars. Williamson's contract is fully non-guaranteed before July 15 and the team could waive him and get out of the final three-years, $126.5 million with no cap hit if they want. 

New York (down 2-3 vs. IND): Play for their season again on Saturday night after Jalen Brunson (32 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (24 points) led the Knicks offensively while the defense turned up the heat on Tyrese Haliburton, who scored only eight points on 2-for-7 shooting after his historic effort in Game 4. New York has benefited from switching for most of the playoffs, while more recent adjustments to play Delon Wright and Landry Shamet more while staggering Brunson and Towns' minutes for defensive purposes have made it more difficult for the Pacers to put them in actions. Mitchell Robinson also replaced Josh Hart in the starting lineup beginning in Game 3, which Hart volunteered for after assistants reportedly recommended the move to Tom Thibodeau. Hart's turnovers have ticked up while Towns' fouling has continued to put him in difficult positions alongside a nagging knee injury. The team committed 17 turnovers in the devastating Game 4 loss that put them on the brink of elimination. Towns, who's averaged 25.4 PPG on 51.8% shooting in his best playoff series as a pro, saved New York in Game 3 with 20 fourth-quarter points. 

Oklahoma City (won 4-1 vs. MIN): Reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paired his NBA MVP with West Finals MVP honors. He averaged 31.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 8.2 APG on 45.7% shooting against the Wolves' tough defense in the five-game series. They're now overwhelming favorites to win their first championship, according to Las Vegas odds, if the Pacers advance from the east. Game 1 will take place in Oklahoma City on Thursday at 8:30 EST. The Thunder have the chance to solidify themselves as one of the all-time greatest single-season teams in NBA history, while Gilgeous-Alexander would perform the first MVP sweep with Finals MVP honors. The last league MVP to win the championship was Steph Curry in 2015, who led a similarly franchise-altering title. For Oklahoma City, which has never won a title since moving there from Seattle in 2008, this series aims to avenge the crushing 2012 loss that's haunted the city since. James Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook appeared to just start their run then, but never returned to the championship after Harden departed in a trade to Houston that fall.

Phoenix: Reportedly narrowed their head coaching search to five candidates this week, including Heat lead assistant Chris Quinn, Cavs coaches Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott, Dave Bliss, a long-time Thunder assistant and Sean Sweeney from the Mavs. Quinn and Sweeney have previously drawn head coaching interest, and Sweeney appears to be a fast-riser in this process. The new Suns head coach will become their fourth in four seasons, and likely will oversee a roster transition.