Boston Celtics
“Did Philly win this collection or did Boston blow it? I feel the reply is each.”
Longtime Boston sports activities scribe Invoice Simmons — like many Celtics followers — was at a loss on Saturday evening.
Regardless of holding a 3-1 collection lead in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers of their first-round playoff collection, the Celtics dropped three straight video games — together with two at TD Backyard — to their longtime rival en path to a crushing, season-ending defeat in Sport 7.
Simmons took to his podcast on Sunday to react to the Celtics’ shocking first-round exit — taking head coach Joe Mazzulla to process for the best way he dealt with his lineups and his general changes (or lack thereof) through the seven-game collection.
“I believed Mazzulla was unbelievable within the common season. It was truthfully — I voted for him for Coach of the 12 months, I believed he was unbelievable. And I don’t know what they have been considering with these playoffs. I’ve so many questions. And look, did Philly win this collection or did Boston blow it? I feel the reply is each. … They went again to their 2024 model with out the identical gamers, is my greatest concern.
“They slowed it down, they didn’t play with tempo, they gave up on their bench. And I used to be saying it on the podcast on the time, I didn’t actually perceive it.”
Whereas the lack of Jayson Tatum for Sport 7 didn’t do the Celtics any favors, Mazzulla’s choice to roll with a starting-five unit of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, and Ron Harper Jr. for Sport 7 raised eyebrows.
That grouping had not performed a single minute collectively all season lengthy. After simply 4 minutes, Mazulla pulled the plug on that five-man unit after Boston fell into an early 11-3 deficit.
Add in Boston’s strict adherence to its 3-point capturing philosophy and the shortage of changes as soon as Joel Embiid returned to the collection in Sport 4, and the Celtics had few solutions after initially being seen as one of many favorites to return out of the Japanese Convention.
“That is my sincere feeling: I feel Mazzulla handled this collection like, ‘Let’s work out what we’ve got for after we play the Knicks and the Pistons and whoever comes out of the West. I’m gonna use this as my litmus take a look at collection,” Simmons added. “I’m gonna see what I’ve with [Nikola] Vucevic, I’m gonna shorten my rotations, I’m gonna attempt to do the 2024 factor once more.’ They usually simply bought away from what succeeded for them.
“The bench was the superpower of this group. It was guys like Hugo [Gonzalez] and Walsh coming in and being maniacs for 5, six minutes. And simply punted on it… So simply – I actually assume Mazzulla screwed this collection up, and I’m all the time gonna assume that.”
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