The coach who ended the Celtics’ 2024-25 season was readily available Monday to assist them put together for 2025-26.
Tom Thibodeau, who was fired by the Knicks weeks after New York’s second-round overcome Boston this previous spring, visited a Celtics apply on the Auerbach Middle forward of Wednesday’s season opener towards the Philadelphia 76ers.
It’s common for unemployed coaches to journey to different groups’ amenities — ex-Memphis Grizzlies bench boss Taylor Jenkins attended a C’s apply earlier this month — however Thibodeau was in a position to present a novel perspective.
“I feel that was superior having Thibs,” Jaylen Brown mentioned. “Clearly, they eradicated us final 12 months, so him having the ability to give among the ideas that he noticed in that sequence and among the stuff that they broke down in our personnel, and even our staff, helps us develop and be taught from that. We misplaced final 12 months. It stung shedding to the Knicks. So to have Thibs right here at our apply and explaining among the issues that he noticed to assist them beat us solely helps me get higher, solely helps us get higher. So I worth that. Shoutout to Thibs for being right here right now.”
The Knicks upset the Celtics in six video games within the Japanese Convention semifinals, overcoming double-digit second-half deficits in Video games 1, 3 and 4 earlier than steamrolling the depleted defending champions by 38 factors in Sport 6. Brown mentioned Thibodeau broke down movie of how New York efficiently defended himself and Jayson Tatum, who suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles late in Sport 4.
“I took rather a lot (from it), having the ability to speak to him and ask questions on what he was seeing,” Brown mentioned. “He was breaking down some movie and stuff like that, speaking to Joe (Mazzulla) from a staff perspective and from a top-down perspective, like what he needed to do with me and Jayson or what he needed to do when the ball was in my palms. It means that you can develop. Should you’re humble sufficient to pay attention, it’ll mean you can develop.”
The breakdown was “the primary of its variety to this nature” for Brown.
“The groups which have crushed us within the playoffs haven’t been in that place,” he mentioned. “Lots of (their coaches) nonetheless have their jobs for essentially the most half. So this was a novel place the place a man might are available instantly after and provides us some suggestions on simply how we may be higher, how I may be higher. So I worth that. That was nice.”
Thibodeau additionally had an extended dialog with the rehabbing Tatum after apply.
This go to was a homecoming of types for the 67-year-old coach, who was raised in Connecticut, attended Salem State and received a championship as a Celtics assistant beneath Doc Rivers in 2008.
“He’s been among the finest coaches round for a very long time,” Mazzulla mentioned. “Labored right here, received a championship right here, and simply having him round makes me higher, makes our group higher. Simply lots of respect for him.”
The Celtics will face Thibodeau’s former staff this Friday evening at Madison Sq. Backyard.
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