By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
For any coach or front office member, losing Jayson Tatum for a reason is never ideal in any scenario, unless you can take away some positives for the rest of the team, as Head Coach Joe Mazzulla will. Being able to adapt goes without saying as a criterion for coaches in sports, but it helps to have a coach who embraces adapting both on and off the court.
There is no more obvious chessboard challenge for Mazzulla than losing Tatum for an entire season. Losing your queen piece only means you have to utilize your other pieces, and Mazzulla is aligned with that.
Let’s see what Jaylen Brown has: Although the coach knows Jaylen Brown has already reached great heights in front of him, there is an intriguing level of adaptability that his player leader will also take on. Along with the front office, Mazzulla surely sees this as a healthy opportunity to find out how Brown can surpass his accomplishments with or without Tatum. The high physical energy Brown brought during the recent title run has to be a point of emphasis for Mazzulla, especially now that he knows Brown is much healthier than last season. Being thrown into the primary role could be seen as a way to get Brown to consistently rely on his tone-setting drives to the rim.
The foundation can prove itself: Mazzulla certainly views this scenario as a defining period for the rest of the roster as well. We know how well a Payton Pritchard or Sam Hauser can produce off the bench in competitive minutes, but no one knows the ceiling for these players when they are thrown into starting roles. Could this organization be leaning on role players more to avoid big financial commitments in the future? The shooters surrounding the bulk of this roster will be tested early and often, and this will provide more clarity into the coach’s mindset.
The attack will be reevaluated: Tied into that dynamic is where Mazzulla stands with the general offensive game plan. Fans may not like to read this, but the coach will not abandon the historical three-point strategy he used last season. If anything, Tatum’s injury suggests to Mazzulla that the team will have to utilize the three-point shot just as much. However, the coach clearly felt part of the ramifications of that strategy down the stretch, so diversifying it in some way is definitely on Mazzulla’s mind.
Just like that, you have what Mazzulla and the Celtics are likely focused on right now. Although the offseason has not been too busy in terms of additions for the organization, this level of adaptability is surely keeping them busy.
With how many times we have seen Mazzulla relish uncomfortable situations, it should not come as a surprise that he is having a little fun thinking about this future season. To him, lessons will be learned and futures will be carved out and clarified.
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