The Celtics Ability To Adapt And Thrive Despite All The Trade Chaos Going On Is A Testament To Their Collective Championship Mindset

Sam Hodde. Getty Images.

During the NBA season, there are a few stretches of the schedule that truly test the collective mental toughness of a basketball team. One of which is right before the All Star break, when guys are ready to hit the beach and enjoy a nice long vacation. Thst game right before is a doozy in terms of mental toughness. You have to remain locked in.

Then there's where we are now, with the NBA Trade deadline. I would imagine this is a tough time for players considering they have no idea who may be coming or going and whose life is about to be turned upside down. Add in a situation where a team makes a trade that day? That's about as mentally tough of a challenge as you can have during the regular season.

With the Celtics swapping Anfernee Simons, a player who was clearly beloved by everyone, for Nikola Vucevic a few hours before their showdown with Cooper Flagg, the players were faced with this exact challenge. Not only that, but this was also the front end of a B2B with HOU up next, so there was even more added pressure to make sure they handled their shit, despite everything else going on around them.

So what did they do? 

They blew doors. Sure, the final score says they only won by 10, but this was a game in which the Celts led by as many as 23. They entered the 4th with a 19 point lead. After the first quarter, things weren't really all that close. 

To me, this was yet another sign of the collective mental toughness of this roster, and that should surprise nobody because they are led by a mental GIANT in Joe Mazzulla. The leaders of this team are about as mentally tough as it gets. Yesterday's events could have been a distraction, and I don't think anyone would fault the players. But to see them come out and handle their business the way they did was no accident. This team is a basketball machine. When the ball goes up and it's time to win, that's the only thing that matters. This team finds a way.

I think it's safe to assume there are even more changes coming in the next day or so, that's just the nature of the deadline and the Celts roster situation. I think it'd be naive to think Brad is done, even if the only things left to do are moves around the margins. 

The point is, this current group continues to show that they are ready to step up and meet any challenge, and to me, that's the sign of a strong culture. Of having championship DNA. So yeah, beating the Mavs is whatever, mostly because outside of Cooper Flagg, they kind of stink. That's not what last night was about for me. This was about a team, even while being right in the middle of NBA Trade Deadline chaos, still being able to lock in and play winning basketball. That matters.

Let's begin.

The Good

- It's not exactly a secret that despite winning Player Of The Month for the month of January, we had started to see a little bit of regression when it came to Jaylen Brown's offensive production. His midrange jumper disappeared for basically over a month, the paint/rim finishing had dipped, and while he was still producing at a level in which his role required, it definitely looked and felt a little different than his incredible start to the season. Some sort of regression was always expected, but definitely not to the level we were seeing.

He got his rest day against the Kings the other day, and I have to say, it clearly did a body good. The Jaylen we saw against both the Bucks and Mavs looked awfully familiar, and you could tell right away his explosiveness and quickness were back.

Since that rest day? 

31.5/12.0/2.5 on 54/53% splits

Yes, it definitely helps that he got to play the Bucks and Mavs over this stretch, but whatever. I'm just happy to see Jaylen get back to the level he should be at. These last two games Jaylen has been able to feast in the paint, where he's 9-10 from the restricted area and 7-13 from the paint. We're also seeing the 3P shooting come back a little bit, with Jaylen sitting at 4-5 from above the break, and 2-3 from the corners. His shot profile continues to be excellent, with a perfect balance of inside/outside shooting, with last night being another example of this

What you saw in this performance was an elite bucket getter. Right from the jump, he was locked in

Scoring 33 points while only taking 2 FTA and only making 2 3PMs is impressive as hell when it comes to shotmaking. He was efficient, he was aggressive, and knowing there isn't the Anferno available to provide that scoring punch, he was consistent. It's not like he only scored early and faded late. It was a consistent effort for all four quarters.

And perhaps the most impressive part of Jaylen's run right now, at least for me, is his rebounding. We know Jaylen can get 30 in his sleep. He's proven that. But this rebounding? This moves me

I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've ever seen Jaylen have a double double 5 times in an 8 game stretch. At least that's how it feels. Taking on the scoring load while ALSO leading the team in rebounding like this is big time stuff, and stuff we're used to seeing from Jayson Tatum. 

Speaking of Jayson Tatum, it's interesting how those who obsess over every single thing Jaylen Brown says seem to be ignoring this?

Tough moment for all the fear mongerer's who want you to believe Jaylen Brown actually hates Tatum and doesn't want him to come back etc. Why so quiet about these quotes, yet were so loud when Jaylen talks about his previous sacrifice? Very confusing! 

- The surprise of the night was learning that Payton Pritchard would be moving back to his 6th man role with the departure of Anfernee Simons, which given the fact that the Celts only had 2 ball handlers available, made some sense. We'll see what other moves Brad makes in that department, but if there are no other ball handlers on the horizon, then that's perfectly fine given the fact that we already know Pritchard can thrive in that role

Here's the thing that didn't make much sense ot me following this tremendous Pritchard performance. I couldn't help but notice there was this take that a game like this shows why Pritchard is a 6th man and not a starter caliber player.

Wrong.

Payton Pritchard has had many games just like this, while being a starter. Perhaps what people continue to miss is that Payton Pritchard is just really, really good at the sport of basketball. Starter, 6th man, it makes no difference. He proved this entire season that he's a starter-caliber player (fact, not opinion), and again this just speaks to the mental toughness of this group. You put Payton in any situation, and it doesn't matter to him. He just wants to win

Do you know how rare this mindset is? How many players would throw a fit after starting every game this season, playing well, and then going back to the bench? I'd say the majority of them. But here? On this team? What matters is winning and what helps the team most. I don't know how anyone could have anything other than a great deal of respect for Pritchard in this regard.

It wouldn't surprise me if this becomes a permanent move, especially if Tatum eventually returns. The second unit needs ball handling, and if you're also adding Tatum back into the mix, between him and White, that's handled in the starting unit. Guys like Hugo and Baylor I wouldn't say are ready for that type of responsibility just yet, so sliding Payton down to balance things out makes sense. It made less sense with Simons on the roster, but without him, there is now that need.

If Brad brings in another guard? Maybe that slides Payton back up, we'll just have to wait and see. But in his first game of the year off the bench, Pritchard was tremendous.

- I know the team just traded for Vucevic, but I'm at the point now where I cannot allow that move to cut into Luka Garza's minutes. What we are seeing unfold in front of our eyes when it comes to Garza's development is starting to get insane

Watching the looks Garza is getting in this offense, now imagine those possessions being Vuc at times. Pretty enticing I would say.

Another fantastic bench performance for Luka, who finished with 16 points and 4 OREBs in his 20 minutes, he's another guy who has completely grown into a winning and servicable player in his short time in Boston. From where we started to where we are now doesn't even make sense, yet I would argue Garza has been one of the most consistent players on this roster for months now. 

The trade now slides him into the 3rd big spot, but that shouldn't mean the end of his minutes. This team sneaky needs him given how streaky their shooting can be. His motor and rebounding impact winning. If you're telling me he's now also going to be a threat from deep? This is basically the ideal 3rd big. 

Again I'll point to the mental toughness. After learning about this trade, Garza could have sulked. He could have let that impact his play. Instead, he did the opposite. He had one of his best games of the season. We're at the point now where Garza is just flat out good, and someone who has thrived in his role. He's not a perfect player, but that's OK. Nobody is asking him to be. All he needs to do is continue to thrive in his role and focus on what his strengths are, and the results will speak for themselves. 

- Just something to monitor, but the Celts are now right on the brink of playing their way into owning a top 10 defense. They currently sit in 11th with a rating of 112.9, and another strong stretch of games should have them pretty comfortably in the top 10.

As a reminder, the Celts also already own the 2nd best offense in the NBA and are t-2nd for the best net rating. The competition in their schedule gets a whole lot tougher from here on out in February, so if they are able to get into the top 10 defensively playing an improved level of competition, just give Joe Mazzulla the COTY.

Oh, and I should probably tell you the Celts are also 2nd in the NBA in opponents' points per game, trailing only OKC (107.7 vs 108.9). Who saw that coming?

- Winning a game in which you didn't really shoot all that well from deep (33%) is also notable. It helped that the Mavs also couldn't shoot, but it was another example of this team finding different ways to be effective. Sorry to those who think all the Celts do is just chuck up 3s. I'd advise you to turn your radio off and actually watch. 

Yesterday it was clear the Mavs had no way to keep the Celts out of the paint, so they exploited that weakness to the tune of 58 paint points. When it came time to keep the defense honest and maintain spacing, they shot 3s. When it came time to close out the game, Jaylen operated almost exclusively in the paint. That's just great awareness from everyone involved. 

The Bad

- Cooper Flagg is so fucking good lol. What he is doing right now as a teenager is insane, and he's one of those players where you can just see it right away when you watch him play. He is so very clearly a franchise guy/future MVP etc I don't even know how one could argue against that. He's barely half way through his rookie season, and it's like you're watching a 10 year vet. He can do everything on both ends of the floor. 

I couldn't even be mad that he was torching the Celts and that they didn't really have an answer for him. He's that special and I cannot wait until he eventually joins Jayson Tatum in Boston. That's going to be incredible

- Maybe they were just playing the clock out, but I didn't love the 4th quarter execution for large stretches. It never got under double digits which was a relief, but I do think it was a missed opportunity for early rest that the Celts didn't punch first and make this a true blowout. They had to grind it out until the end which is less than ideal with the Rockets up today, but that's what happens when you can't go a defensive possession without fouling.

Every trip down it felt like the Celts were unable to get stops and repeatedly put the Mavs at the line, and the 33 points they allowed in that frame were the highest of the night. Normally this wouldn't be a huge deal, but I have 4th quarter PTSD when it comes to this team, so that was a bit triggering.

- Speaking of PTSD, can we be done with this Caleb Martin bullshit? I mean enough already. Fakest player of all time that somehow only plays well when it'sm against the Celtics. I'm not being dramatic, it's literally all he does

So annoying. I'm still not over that 2023 bullshit, so the fact that this is still going on is infuriating. 

- I get why Joe started Baylor last night, but I do wonder if it's time to slide Walsh back in. This isn't to say Baylor was bad, his rebounding and defense were fine, but I do think the second unit could now use his shooting more than the starting unit. Walsh is going to give you better rebounding and defense, and I do worry about the 2nd unit scoring drought because outside of Pritchard, there aren't that many reliable shooters available. I wouldn't say Hugo's jumper is there yet, so it wouldn't shock me if Baylor slides down as well, just for better roster balance. 

The Ugly

- Another 4-13 (1-8) shooting performance for Derrick White, which is now a little bit more significant than it was while Simons was still on the roster.

Look, I understand that DWhite does a billion things that help you win on the court. He's having an awesome season. That's all true.

It's also true that he needs to get back to making his open and wide open looks. You could survive his poor shooting because you had a microwave scorer off the bench to make up for it. That is now gone, so in my opinion the shooting of Derrick White is now more important than ever.

I think both things can be true. White can be providing an insane amount of impact defensively and all the little things that help you win, but it's also OK to say he can't miss every wide open look he gets. The roster construction has changed. I'm not saying he has to suddenly be a shot creator and score like Jaylen. I'm just saying when the ball swings to him and he has a wide open look, those are the ones I need him to start cashing. 

The margin for error has now become even thinner since one of the best C&S players is now off the roster, which means it's guys like Derrick, Hauser, Pritchard etc that are going to have to step up this part of their game. 

With another tough challenge tonight against a good Rockets team, it'll be another opportunity to see just how mentally tough this team is. No team in the NBA has been better on B2Bs since Joe Mazzulla took over, and if they're able to win this one? Without Simons or Vuc available? That might be their most impressive one yet.