The Celtics’ first regulation setback came on Monday night, and it brought attention to a problem that needs to be fixed as soon as possible.
At Target Center, Anthony Edwards led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 114-109 victory over Boston in overtime. The main reason for the defeat was that Joe Mazzulla neglected to call a timeout in the closing seconds of regulation, or while Edwards was closing out the game. Rather, Jaylen Brown failed to make a step-back three-pointer, but we’ll address that later.
A timeout certainly would have been preferable to get Boston settled, but Mazzulla told reporters postgame he was content with the flow of the game and trusted his players would change the tide. This at least was consistent with last season. The problem last season was that Mazzulla was stubborn with his approach of letting the players figure things out and didn’t adjust on time. Letting your players get themselves out of a hole in the sixth game of the season isn’t that bad.
The real problem is that Mazzulla really should consider mixing up his rotation and playing around with different combinations. Let’s get a few things out of the way first. Derrick White missed his second straight game due to the birth of his second child. The Timberwolves also deserve credit as one of the best defenses in the league — they also handed the Denver Nuggets their first loss last week.
But there has to be a better option than Payton Pritchard or Sam Hauser. Pritchard really struggled in the first six games of the season.
He’s scored zero points in half of those games and reached double figures in just one. The 25-year-old signed a surprise contract extension and impressed in the preseason. But he hasn’t been able to replicate that against starting units or bench units. The fourth-year guard racks up other counting stats and hustles, but that should only go so far, especially for a player who reportedly wanted a trade out because he felt he deserved more minutes. This is not to say Svi Mykhailiuk or Dalano Banton is better, but the bench unit needs a more competent player who can create their shot and not be a turnstile on defense.
Hauser struggled to crack the rotation in his first two seasons in Boston, but this season was meant to serve as his chance to impress, and fans are still waiting on something from the 25-year-old. Hauser’s best ability is to shoot threes, and that’s about it through six games. On Monday night, he chucked up an egregious 3-pointer in overtime with Boston down five and 13.1 seconds left expecting a foul call because yes, referees give ticky-tack calls to undrafted free agents. Lamar Stevens reportedly was signed as a potential three-and-D player, and Oshae Brissett flashed that ability with the Indiana Pacers. How are they not playing over Hauser, who Mazzulla needs to hide on defense?
These problems would be alleviated if Brown actually stepped up in crunch time. The NBA is a make-or-miss league, and if you’re the highest-paid player in said league, you have to make that shot. Yes, Jaden McDaniels is a great defender, but if you’re the one who’s taking the shot over Jayson Tatum, then you have to make that shot consistently. Tatum became a threat on isolation plays because he knows how to leverage a defender and understands he can use his length and wingspan to get his shot off from anywhere. Brown has yet to learn that skill and instead, the infamously bad dribbler eats up the clock and chucks up poor shots.
You’re highest-paid player also can’t be the one who other stars target on switches. Far too often Edwards would target Brown and Al Horford on a pick and roll, knowing how they would play it. Other team’s stars know Brown isn’t a strong one-on-one defender and can get their shot up with ease. The 27-year-old also does way too much ball-watching and allows open shooters and back-breaking 3-pointers in crunch time. There are just way too many holes in Brown’s game that he needs to clean up if Boston wants to win a championship
Last season, Boston’s depth was exaggerated a little bit. It used eight players in most situations, just like the Nuggets did to win the NBA title. However, it was noted prior to the season that the talent was superior to the Celtics this year. But players were supposed to step up, and fresh recruits like Kristaps Porzingis ought to be counted on more. In addition, other bench newcomers ought to be given a fair shot over veterans who, after six games, demonstrated why they had trouble breaking into the starting lineup in previous seasons.
