Joe Mazzulla has secured a new contract extension, but as Christopher L. Gasper of The Boston Globe notes, he is about to confront the most challenging coaching assignment of his career when the next NBA season begins.
Since stepping in as head coach just before the 2022–23 season, Mazzulla has benefited from one of the league’s most talented rosters. That landscape has shifted dramatically, however.
Jayson Tatum may miss the entire season due to an Achilles injury, while cost-cutting trades have sent Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis elsewhere. The team has also lost Luke Kornet and likely Al Horford to free agency, leaving the roster less robust than in previous years.
The Celtics’ current roster is less suited to Mazzulla’s favored style, which emphasizes heavy reliance on three-point shooting. Gasper emphasizes that the coach will need to adjust and remain flexible, tailoring the offense to maximize the talents of the players currently available.
Yet Mazzulla’s competitive nature could prove invaluable for this less experienced squad. Former Celtics player and longtime radio analyst Cedric Maxwell told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe:
“Here’s the beauty about all that. Joe Mazzulla’s not going to let them take a step back. Joe Mazzulla is going to use that as fuel to have these guys compete on a nightly basis. We’ve seen teams in the NBA, perhaps not as talented as other teams but at the end, because they played hard every single night, you get your opportunities to win.”
Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Pritchard, Queta, Luis https://t.co/v9K7BYO4NK pic.twitter.com/hbag9SByOa
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) August 17, 2025
