Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla can be a hard guy to read. On the court, he benched his starters near the end of a game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday. The tilt was, at least in theory, within reach, for deep bench players when those starters were not playing at the level the moment required. After the game, however, Mazzulla did not seem so perturbed by the poor play his key players put forth in a high-profile game. “We didn’t play as hard as they did. They played inspired,” he offered as an explanation for what went sideways.
“There were 70 minutes and 35 shots available for multiple guys, and guys on the Lakers team took advantage of it,” he added. “And we just didn’t play as hard as they did.”
The postgame presser devolved into a friendlier version of the Mazzulla fans of the team have come to recognize as defensive and deflecting — but this season with a little less angst and a bit more weirdness.
New ep of the Celtics Lab Podcast on YouTube, via @CelticsCLNS ☘️🧪📺
Breaking down Boston's bench ahead of next week's NBA trade deadline with @NoaDalzellNBA
Sponsored by: @FDSportsbook https://t.co/WCyVWwDmNE
— Celtics Lab Podcast (@CelticsLab) February 1, 2024
The Celtics head coach tried awkward analogies of personal relationships to downplay the inability for his players to execute fundamentals consistently, but also made it clear it was far from the end of the world when it happens.
“I’m pissed, but like, what are you going to do about it?” he asked. “Like I said the other night, if we hang on to this one, then we won’t be ready for practice on Saturday. We won’t be ready for Memphis.”
In fairness, this is the appropriate response considering the team’s goals and current situation. Especially given it isn’t Mazzulla out there making the mistakes. But if the Celtics truly want to hang a banner this summer, these games and levels of focus in them needs to be cast by the wayside for good.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
