It was no secret, preseason, that the Celtics’ largest fear was crashing the boards.
Now, it feels as if the Celtics personal the glass on either side of the court docket.
The beginning middle place felt like a flip of a coin heading into the 2025 season. It was unsure if we might see Neemias Queta lastly earn the job. Or would free agent Luka Garza emerge as the candidate after training camp? Both means, the overall sentiment was not optimistic.
Each gamers have been inexperienced and by no means had a season with over quarter-hour performed per recreation. An acquisition of some type felt imminent, with veteran Nikola Vucevic expected in February.
How would they handle the glass within the meantime with out Jayson Tatum, a perennial 9 rebounds per recreation star?
The reply has been an lively bench unit that has thrived in current weeks, and a training masterclass.
One factor has develop into clear this yr: Brad Stevens has an obsession with gamers with absurd wingspans. 2025 1st spherical decide Hugo Gonzalez stands at 6’6 with a 7′ wingspan. Jordan Walsh has a freakish 7’3 attain. The one current draftee with out an impressive wingspan is Creighton product Baylor Scheierman. Nevertheless, he has nonetheless managed 3 rebounds per recreation on quarter-hour performed per recreation, and has doubled his common within the final 10 video games as of February twenty sixth. Garza has dominated on the offensive boards, averaging 2.3 a recreation on a profession excessive 15.6 minutes this season. The bench unit has had a number of video games by which it has taken over and single-handedly led the staff in inexperienced to victory; lately, a 50-11 3rd-quarter run led by veterans Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard over the Phoenix Suns ended with a +27-rebound differential.
Credit score: Boston Celtics-FbSubmit the deadline, Garza has moved right into a extra restricted position with the addition of Vucevic. At 35 years previous, Vucevic is taking part in simply in addition to ever: by means of 7 video games, he’s averaging 8 boards, 2 of these approaching the offensive facet. This, mixed along with his lethal footwork and unbelievable court docket imaginative and prescient, has made him a risk within the restricted space. His worth lies within the flexibility of the offense Mazzulla can set up. He’s a real stretch huge with a decade extra expertise than Garza. Mazzulla can return to a real five-out offense that led the Celtics to a championship two seasons in the past. With current lineup adjustments, Pritchard moved to the bench, and Scheierman was promoted to the starting shooting guard. Whereas it’s anticipated that Jayson Tatum will make his return this season, it will push Scheierman again to the bench.
The beginning 5 for the Celtics this yr took some time to finalize mid-season, however they have been additionally crashing the glass. Neemias Queta has had a breakout season, averaging 8.3 rebounds, 3 of these on the offensive facet, which is fifteenth greatest within the league. Whereas we are able to chalk a few these as much as him catching his personal misses beneath the basket, his influence has been simple. Whereas nonetheless a uncooked participant, his lengthy attain and immense energy have allowed him to create alternatives across the basket and proceed to be a lob risk. Main scorer Jaylen Brown is not any slouch on the boards both; the MVP hopeful is averaging a profession excessive of seven rebounds. That is with out mentioning the at all times dependable Derrick White.
The Celtics had an unbelievable February: 1st in rebounds. This comes after a horrid first two months within the backside 20% of the league.
Now, they sit at fifth this season.
There is just one man in charge for this revelation, and that’s Joe Mazzulla. The attention check works simply superb when inspecting how his staff has operated. Each participant crashes the boards or scrambles for a rogue shot, which was uncharacteristic for the October model of this squad. This can be a team-wide effort, not merely a breakout yr for Queta or an MVP-worthy season for Brown. Mazzulla has emphasised “the margins”: avoiding turnovers and securing as many rebounds as potential.
It comes down, merely, to the truth that gamers take heed to and respect Joe Mazzulla, as evidenced by the constant presence of fingers off a missed shot. 6 toes tall, Pritchard averages an offensive rebound a recreation. It takes a particular coach to get this a lot effort and worth out of his gamers.
If this doesn’t make him Coach of the 12 months, I don’t know what does.
