The Celtics completely unraveled in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Miami on Sunday night. Coming into the series as the clear favorite, the Celtics would now surprise people by avoiding a sweep after getting completely outplayed and outcoached by the Heat in the series.
Barring a miraculous turnaround, the Celtics will soon face some hard offseason decision rather than making the Finals for the second straight year. Most notably, they have to figure out what to do about their coaching situation and whether to break up their All-Star duo.
Joe Mazzulla had the interim tag removed and received a contract extension in mid-February. The young coach handled himself well during the regular season after getting thrown into the fire following Ime Udoka‘s suspension. He also guided the Celtics past the first two rounds, but has looked overmatched trying to match wits with Miami’s Erik Spoelstra.
Another hot topic of discussion will be Jaylen Brown‘s future. His contract expires after next season and it may behoove the Celtics’ front office to explore trade possibilities for the star wing, who has played poorly in the series.
They’ll also have to decide what to do with Grant Williams, who will be a restricted free agent after being in and out of the rotation this postseason. What price are they willing to match for him, considering their other salary obligations?
Jayson Tatum, Malcolm Brogdon, Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams and Derrick White are all under contract through at least the 2024/25 season. Tatum isn’t going anywhere, but the Celtics might look to deal one of those veterans to shake up the rotation and fix the issues that have been exposed by the Heat.
That brings up to our topic of the day: What changes should the Celtics make this offseason?
Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion. We look forward to your input.
Lmao after tonight’s game I’d be looking at the offseason early too.
Before I get a Celtics clown chirping about Game 7… this series, is more pathetic to watch than Game 7. Bout to be swept by the 8th seed.
That wasn’t even a good series by the Celtics TBH. The Sixers lost it more than anything else.
Not a Celtics fan but you’re talking trash after the Celtics just humiliated your team?
He’s still getting over it apparently.
I’m not the one that blew the game for the Sixers. Celtics are getting embarrassed for an entire series. Sixers got embarrassed for 1 game.
And yet you’re still really salty about it.
No you perceive that I’m salty, Sixers were not the better team going in, I had no expectations. You see Philly in my handle and you assume I’m some snowball throwing fan. I accepted that they got clowned for 1 game, and theres now turmoil for the offseason. Celtics went to the Finals last yr, getting swept in the ECF this year, have 2 All NBA players in their prime and fans already want them to blow it up this offseason. Actual Sixers fans knew that Harden was opting out and that we could be in trouble this offseason bc we can’t replace his contract if he walks. And as pathetic as our season ended, again it was just 1 game and the celtics blew 3 games in a row so far. Not salty, its comical.
Why do you care so much about Boston, the team that just beat Philly, if you aren’t salty?
You seem pretty invested.
Dude… I’ve been on this site since it started. Back when there was like 2 or 3 of us talking to each other. I’m invested in NBA chatter.
Dude. I have been on here for 7 years or so myself.
Poing being Celtics beat the sixers and you’re salty. No other reason for you to jump and down about it.
The heat a barely above 500 team during the regular season gets hot and goes to the finals. Daddy the celtics humiliated themselves in this series,the sixers played tough and played hurt until they had nothing else to give.
Yes, oh you should be so proud.
“chirp” “chirp” The Celtics future still looks brighter than the Sixers. Tatum is only 23 and will eventually get his ring. Embiid winning the MVP is like Linus Ullmark winning the Vezina. A joke. You can’t build a championship team around a big unless he’s Jokic and he’s got a great supporting cast. Tatum does not. Brown isn’t a good complement to Tatum. Donovan Mitchell is and that’s where I would try first. As for the Sixers, they’re screwed. Embiid has back, foot, and knee problems. That’s a pie in your face from this clown. “yuck” “yuck” “yuck”
Your answer is to trade Brown for Mitchell? What is this 2k?
Do you have an answer for what Philly is going to do?
Are they?
Dude, dry your Philly tears, you lost.
The one major thing they need too do is trade Smart G. Williams and get a starting big because you can’t count on that glasshouse Williams
The other thing is bring in a assistant coach with head coaching experience because it’s clear that clown Mazzulla is lost most of the time and in way over his head
The
Break up the Celtics …….
Why would you put Jalen on Bam ??
Why would you put R Williams on Jimmy ??
This game wasn’t even close. It was over at halftime. Even Celtics knew it. And that’s sorry lols
Yeah I didn’t understand why you out Grant on Butler down the stretch in the last game. Miami ended up cooking Boston and going 24-9 to win.
Last year on their run to the finals Jayson Tatum was stepping up and guard anyone and everyone. Marcus Smart was DPOY and guys like Jaylen Al and Rob were making big plays. This year against Miami you have Grant Williams guarding Jimmy Butler.
Where is Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum. Heck even Jaylen would’ve done a better job and I like Grant Williams.
Not sure if it’s personal or coaching. Last year down the stretch and in the playoffs Udoka had these guys looking phenomenal
Mazzulla should be fired. Bigger problem, Tatum is not a winner. They’re stuck with him. Great problem to be stuck with? I guess? But he’s not a winner. He can get you far, but not over the top. They need to trade Jaylen Brown, who is likewise not a winner in his core, and find another second star.. someone with some stones to make up for Jayson having none.
Someone compared Tatum to Carmelo. Sorry to say, I’m starting to see it.
Wow! That’s a nice comparison for Tatum. Future 1st ballot Hall of Famer. Personally I don’t think he’s there yet.
Carmelo that passes and works on D.
How awful.
I’d keep Brown over Tatum Brown seems to get a little better every yr and plays team ball unlike Tatum who’s pretty much said he wants a mvp and other single player awards over a title that was proven at the all star game when he chose not too play RS games but ball out at the AS game
Seriously? You think Brown plays team ball? What’s your definition of team ball? He doesn’t pass, takes too many bad shots, turns the ball over too often trying to go one on five. Great talent, but in no way a team player.
Tatum is a much more willing passer than Brown.
Tatum was a winner and the best player in the NBA when he was crushing the sixers soul so suddenly he sucks ? Lol
No generational talent, No Championship. That’s how it works. The Celtic have a ceiling.
No generational talent other than Tatum and maybe Brown.
ASG MVP …
Brown wants that supermax. Then the trade request will come.
We need a true point guard! Trade Brown for a true point guard! Not Lillaerd. Go getNurse or someone with coaching experience. We have 3 good combo guards but no true point guard. Tatum is 6”10 and fluid but him and Brown do not share the ball. Brown wants out, you can tell that by his body language. The first thing that the Celtics have to fix is the coaching.
I said this at the beginning of the year. They need a PG and center
“Trade Brown for a true Point Guard” not one of the top 10 to ever play though. We wouldn’t want that.
Chris Paul is very available.
Chris Paul is available for a reason.
No we don’t. None of the successful teams have a “true point guard”. That concept is gone with the dinosaurs. If Tatum and Brown dont share the ball the solution is a coach that forces them to share the ball, and eventually a trade of one of them for a player more willing to share.
Said it like a week ago, wait until Miami smacks you out the playoffs and the media starts its narrative again, can Jaylen and Jayson win together?
A year left on his deal, hasn’t exactly talked up wanting to stay, probably doesn’t like being in Tatums shadow, had tiffs with Smart in the past. Actually really like Kyrie Irving and maybe he misses Udoka. Who knows but my guess is that between him and the media talking there’s a good chance there’s a split.
As a Sixers fan, id like to see a Joel Embiid for Jaylen Brown, Rob Williams and a first round pick or two trade.
Joel has huge injury concerns, I think he’s peaked after striving for the MVP year after year and having finally won. Harden looks set to leave, and when he does we go from contender to pretender real quick.
Id rather have Jaylen who is younger, no injury history, seems like a great person off the court, hungry to prove himself as a leader, and is a all nba level player. Rob Williams is obviously a step backwards from Embiid and has injury history but I really rate him as a defender. Then on top of that we add a couple first, I’d be more than happy.
No longer a contender, not trying to be a pretender. Just having a little reset
For the Celtics Joel and Tatum would be insane. Maybe Joel has another level to reach after winning MVP he has his sights set on a title. Defensively you’d be stacked with Smart Tatum and Joel. It would set you up as title favourites for the next 5 years that’s for sure
No team with Embiid is gonna win a championship but he does need a change of scenery and Philly needs to start a new process. Any solid deal, such as the one mentioned above, should be considered.
Wash your mouth out with soap. Trade jojo lol .
Move on from the coach nring in a former player to coach (monty or sam cassell)sign brown to the supermax see what grant williams and peyton pritchard value is on the trade market also remember gallinari will be ready for next season and he is a double digit scorer that’s a good start
So the Celtics are already done?
The coach is the easy answer… Obviously the toxic culture under Udoka didn’t make his assistants any better than he was at getting these players to play better…
Easy and only quick solution is to part ways with the HC. Mazula was 3rd assistant last year C’s lost W.Hardy and Georgia HC… Brad Stevens should have took control over Mazula if he had Riley’s balls, but he missmanaged the coach position from the Udoka situation… So please change GM also … Window is about to close after next season
So it’s Udoka’s fault they sucked the year after he left. LOL.
Start by getting rid of Mazzulla. I don’t want to hear about first year mistakes. Saving timeouts is ridiculous. Miami went from up 22 to up 17, and Spoelstra called timeout. Miami stopped the run. Mazzulla’s substitutions and lack of use or his roster were horrible decisions. Everyone talked about the depth of the roster, and he played basically 7 players all series. I have said for two years that they should trade Brown. He does not play with teamwork in mind. I predicted after the All Star game that the Celtics would not win the championship. That show between Tatum and Brown said a lot about their relationship- one of competition to see who could put up more points. Late game collapses have generally been about one on five with Tatum, Brown and Smart playing whoever touches the ball first gets to take the shot. Fire Mazzulla, trade Brown and maybe Rob Williams and Smart. Bring in a coach who can get a team to play team offense and defense. Miami is showing that team play is more important than talent, although there is talent there too with a great coach.
Fire the coach keep the team intact give it another run. I don’t think it’s the roster. They’re actually improved over last year’s finals team and key guys aren’t hurt this time.
The roster is a bit of a problem, given that they can’t coordinate worth a damn. Marcus Smart has made more mistakes than good plays in this series, Brown tries to hero ball too much, and Tatum looks deflated. Some of that is Mazulla being terrible, but not all of it. They need a point guard who can lead, otherwise they’ll keep repeating the same cycle of mistakes over and over. Smart is a good player, but he’s not the guy the Celtics need.
I think most of what you mentioned is on the coach but perhaps they need a speedy point guard? The three lead guards they have are lead guards but more the plodding Andre Miller types.
But other than that I think a good coach has this team playing in the finals and winning. They were there last year and didn’t have Brogden and Robert Williams was hurt. They were within two games of winning it last year and Tatum played lousy then too.
Also I think last year the Celtics were tenacious and lock down on defense, sort of like the Heat this year lol. I’m not seeing it in green this time around. In my opinion, again I think that’s coaching.
It’s definitely partly on coaching. Udoka was better able to mask or play around those problems. But they have zero actual playmakers. The Celtics look most alive on offense with Derrick White or Malcom Brogdon takes the point and Smart is on the bench. And neither is a true floor general. They desperately need a Chauncey Billups type-player to hold this collection of great players together when the opponents make adjustments.
The culture needs to change. Way more effort on passing, defense, effort, toughness, etc… That’s something that has to be emphasized before the season opener, and every day after that.
But they also need a coach who understands basketball a little better, and not one who thinks letting a bench player guard Jimmy Butler is the way to go.
Everything in life is about chemistry. The Cs have shown their 2023 chemistry to be toxic. Tatum and Brown woulda, coulda, shoulda, but now its time to head to the lab to boil and distill a new Celtics identity. If it were my call call, I’d pull a blockbuster trade with the Bulls. The Celtics get DeMar DeRozen and Nicola Vucevic and the Bulls get Brown, Galinari, Pritchard, Grant Williams and Champagnie.