The Boston Celtics are as loaded as ever in the 21st century. With two All-NBA players, two All-Stars and a strong coaching staff, the Celtics have what it takes to win a championship. When the season goes south, at the end of the day, it leaves one possible man of the fall: Joe Mazzu.
Every season, teams have a scapegoat when things go wrong or when the ultimate goal of a championship is not achieved. Last season, you could argue that Marcus Smart and Mazzulla were the scapegoats because they couldn’t get on the same page and there was general dysfunction in the locker room. The Celtics made it clear who they went with when they traded Smart and gave Mazzulla a deep coaching staff to help him grow as a coach.
Boston Celtics additions Charles Lee, Sam Cassell and Jeff Van Gundy emphasize that Mazzulla is ready to succeed, but he is also easily replaceable. It’s both a blessing and a curse for Mazzulla, who is under immense pressure in just his second year as head coach.
Chemistry could be Joe Mazzulla’s undoing with the Boston Celtics
The Celtics will likely be game changers this season, but it’s possible the season could go south if injuries occur or if the chemistry doesn’t click right away.
If chemistry becomes an issue, Mazzulla falls to the Boston Celtics and could be traded. I think if the Celtics get off to a slow start, Mazzu will be traded because the C’s don’t have time to screw up. The same goes for Boston not being able to win a championship because I think Mazzulla would have been fired in that situation.
It will be interesting to see how Mazzulla handles the pressures of this season and how he adapts to last year.
