It Only Took One Game To Show Just How Perfect A Fit Nikola Vucevic Is Going To Be After His Awesome Celtics Debut

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As we've talked about before this season, the once great Celtics/Heat rivalry is beyond dead. Deader than dead. After last night's 22 point comeback, that now makes it 16 of the last 19 for the Celts against the Heat, pretty good! Joe Mazzulla has not only passed Erik Spoelstra, he's lapped him, and while the Heat and Pat Riley decided to once again not do anything at the deadline, not only did we see the Celts' deadline deal look great, they also get to add Jayson Tatum back to the mix. These teams are very clearly on the opposite end of the spectrum.

This was a matchup that honestly defined the East in the 2020s, and unfortunately for Heat fans, those days appear to be over. As it turns out, the only times the Heat even really have a chance is when the entire Celtics roster misses every wide open shot they take. That's it. Once they stop missing every shot they take, it's a wrap. Spo has no answers on either end, and hasn't for years now.

Just this season, we saw the Celts miss every shot early in their January 15th game to go down by 19, and ultimately come back and win.

Last night, same thing. Celts missed every shot they took in the first half, and got down by as much as 22. What happened? They only pulled off one of their largest comebacks in the last 25 years

After the Mavs win a few days ago, I talked about how impressive a display it was of the Celts' collective championship-level mental toughness. With everything flying around trade rumor wise, that's a tough spot. 

The very next night after the trade and without their best players, they showed even more mental toughness by blowing out the KD-led Rockets on the second night of a B2B. An insane win in every way possible. Elite, elite mental toughness.

Well, are you starting to believe me now? A 22-point deficit at home? Doesn't get any tougher than that, and wouldn't you know, it was their mindset that was the root of everything

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Giphy Images.

As I said….mental GIANT. To think some out there don't think Joe is a good coach or that they wanted him fired in 2023. You fucking morons. I hope you feel immense shame. 

In an ideal world, we wouldn't be seeing the Celtics get down by 20+ against a dogshit team like the Heat. Sadly, we do not live in an ideal world, and you also have to remember, these are the Celtics we're talking about. They are very clearly addicted to adversity. They can't get enough of it. Why make things easy on yourself when you could make them very, very difficult instead? I've given up trying to understand it, and instead have just decided to embrace it. I welcome the challenge because I know this team does not quit. They are champions with a champion mindset led by the best coach in the NBA, who also happens to be a mental giant. Until that clock hits 0.0, this team is never dead.

Alright, we have a lot to get to, let's dive in.

The Good

- I think it's safe to say all eyes were on the Celtics debut of Nikola Vucevic. In my mind there were a few things I was looking to check off in terms of his new career as a Celtic. Just some very basic and baseline evaluations that I do with all newcomers.

1. Do you look weird in a Celtics uniform?

2. Are you able to produce against all the teams I hate?

When it came to Anfernee Simons, he passed both of those initial tests. Looked totally normal in a Celts uniform, and we saw him go belt to ass over the Heat. It's why he fit in so well, and you'll never convince me otherwise. This test never fails.

So how did Vuc do?

For starters, he didn't look weird at all in the Celts alternates. We'll see how things look with the traditional home whites and the road green, but so far? He passed.

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How did he produce against a team I hate? You tell me

I regret to inform the rest of the NBA, but it appears that Brad Stevens has done it again… again. 

Not only was Vuc completely as advertised, it took about 0.5 seconds to see exactly how well he's going to fit in. Dare I say he's a perfect match for this system? Nothing I saw last night tells me that would be wrong, so I'm going to say he's a perfect match for this system. 

So where do we even begin?

How about the passing? Dear lord, the passing

Giphy Images.

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Is this the best passing big the Celts have had since Rob? Maybe early years Horford? Right away, Vuc's vision and ability to read the floor made an impact, and to have a good and willing passer like this is going to open up so many things for the offense I can't even stand it. We saw the backdoor Hugo cut and the Derrick White 45 cut for dunks. We saw Vuc spray the ball to the weakside for corner 3s. Welcome back, post up offense! This is something the 2025-26 Celtics have completely abandoned with this version of the roster. From a team that was 2nd in the NBA in Post Ups to virtually dead last this year. Being able to add back in that element is a great tool to have when you need it. 

With Vuc now in the mix, not only do they have a way to generate clean looks for their shooters, but they also have a legit low post scorer who has great touch around the rim and is a fantastic rebounder. 

We saw this impact with Vuc's ability to seal his defender, who was often a smaller player given the Heat are a switching defense. May I remind you what Brad Stevens told us 3 years ago about being able to attack switches via your floor spacing center? 

Remind me, what happened in this season? Oh right

Adam Glanzman. Getty Images.

How many times did we see Vuc with deep position against a smaller defender? It's an auto bucket. And unlike KP who often got pushed off his spot, Vuc is a tank. Nobody was moving shit once he got in position and sealed off his defender. 

Then of course there's the rebounding. To go out and grab 12 rebounds, 6 of which were OREBs and a consistent attack on the glass with great energy and effort, this was about as ideal as you could have asked for in this department. Vuc ahs been an elite rebounder his entire career, the Celtics could always use more rebounding, and you come out and do that? Are you asking me to fall in love with you? Because I will. The only thing missing was a 3PM, and if we also got that? I'd already be down on one knee with the ring. 

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A walking double-double who can stretch the floor and play in the post, whose defense wasn't even that bad? That's another thing. While there were definitely times Vuc got smoked in space, no shit. He's 35 with slow feet. That's going to happen. But overall? I thought his defense was passable. He was contesting looks, but they still found ways to drop. That's OK with me. I never felt like 

"Oh fuck Vuc is on the floor the defense is going to be a disaster"

which was a huge win for me personally. A big part of that is because the Celtics employ Derrick White, but I do think Vuc being on a team with much better team defenders is going to help mask some of his problem areas. We've already seen it happen with Luka Garza, the same can be true of Vuc.

So if I had to grade his debut? I'm going A-. Not only was it exactly what I expected and hoped for, it was also exactly what this team needs.

- You always have to remember this very important thing when it comes to Derrick White. No matter what happens over the course of a game, if we ever find ourselves in a position where we need Derrick White, Derrick White will come through for us. I don't care if he's 0-billion from the floor. I don't care if he has 10 TOs. 

When I need Derrick White, Derrick White is there for me

This game is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. I'm not sure it's possible for a player to have a worse first half than what we watched Derrick White have in this game. I'm talking about a legit disaster on both ends of the floor and in all aspects of the game of basketball. It was weird to see because Derrick White is a known Heat killer, but between his 2-11 (0-6) shooting start to his issues staying in front defensively, it was gross.

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But that's why NBA games are 48 minutes long. Because in the 2nd half? Derrick White is one of the biggest reasons the Celtics won this game. Suddenly, the player we know and love was back. And how do you know Derrick White is back? He makes massive, massive, massive plays in high leverage situations.

The two corner 3s and the block? Be still my heart. Given his struggles shooting the ball, I can only imagine how it felt to make both of these shots

This is also why I never care what Derrick shoots from the floor, I want him firing with confidence at all times. The clutch gene flows through his body, so I don't care if he's 0-100 from deep, I want him taking that same corner 3 with 90 seconds left. If he misses that shot, who knows what happens. Maybe it sparks a fastbreak and the Celts are down 3. But it's the willingness to take the shot despite early struggles mixed with the execution that I love the most. That's trusting the work and trusting yourself, and I'm happy it worked out for Derrick.

Then the block in the final moments? Duh. That's what Derrick White does. The man had 4 blocks in this game.

- Right alongside Derrick White, we also got to see Payton Pritchard come to life in the second half, which was the other huge contributing factor to this win. Like White, Payton struggled in the first half. Couldn't make a shot to save his life, had multiple turnovers which is basically unheard of for Pritchard, and he was a -16 in his 17 first half minutes. 

But the second half? Woo buddy, buckle up

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That's a bad motherfucker, I'm afraid. A total of 20 points on 7-9 (4-4) in the 2nd half, it was Pritchard's shotmaking in the 3rd quarter that really helped boost the comeback. Those early 3s in the third were big mostly because it finally allowed everyone to see the ball go in and the crowd to get juiced. Those were the momentum makes the Celts simply could not get in the first half, and it was Pritchard's stepbacks that started the avalanche.

Then we got to his paint work, and there's a reason it's among the best in the NBA. The way he's able to utilize his handle to get to his spots despite his size, and then the way he uses his center of gravity to create leverage in an effort to open up just enough space for his jumper, I mean holy shit. It's such a joy to watch.

It's also noticeable how much Payton has adjusted his game now that Simons is not on the roster. When they shared the floor together, Payton was still primarily a playmaker. He didn't really hunt for his own shot as much or in the same way we saw during his 6MOY season. These last 3 games? He's adjusted back. Now he's back to the gunner role and look at the production. Only 1 AST last night, but 15 FGA and nothing really felt forced. What it was, was Payton morphing his game into whatever his role is at that time.

When he was a starter, it was his job to get everyone involved and focus on more than just his shooting/scoring. That's the role. In this role, he needs to come in and be the shooter/scorer, and any playmaking we get is just a bonus. 

- With each passing game, Hugo proves to be more and more perfect. I don't know how else to explain it. Every single time he steps on the floor, good shit happens

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My young GOAT!!

- I continue to be very impressed with Baylor's defense and rebounding. Are there times when I get a little nervous about how he can't ever seem to beat anyone off the dribble? Yeah. Not exactly the quickest fella. But you know what? I'm willing to overlook that given his shooting seems to be real, and I can definitely say his defense and rebounding are real. Did you know he was tied for the lead on the team in rebounds in just 18 minutes (7). Defensively? For a guy who isn't all that quick on offense, he sure is able to move his feet and stay in front defensively. I don't feel like I see Baylor get blown by all that often, he's really good at getting his chest into the offensive player to shut off the angle, and he's shown very good discipline to not bite on pump fakes.

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Add in the passing element he provides, and we're seeing Baylor turn himself into a playable NBA player in Year 2. I'd say that's all we were hoping to see. He's a guy that has taken the most of every opportunity Joe has given him, and his growth on the defensive end cannot be ignored. That's been a real weapon, and it's how Baylor has found himself comfortably in the rotation.

- 60 points on 58/56% splits in the second half after 37 points on 28/5% in the first half is both infuriating and very funny. Only the Celtics could do some shit like this. One of the most hilarious teams I've ever had the pleasure of watching, because they were getting essentially the same exact looks from their best shooters in the first half, yet every single one missed.

It's crazy what can happen when the ball goes in the hoop isn't it? It'd be great if they don't waste an entire half, but at least they woke up.

- We also saw the Celts hold another team to under 100, which in 2026 is virtually impossible. The Celts have now done it in 5 straight games.

Not 1. Not 2. Not 3. Not 4. But 5.

As a result, they've now jumped to 9th in the NBA in defense. This team was 16th two weeks ago. Another strong stretch of games, and you could be entering top 5 territory. Do people understand how fucking insane this all is? What more do people need to see in order to give Joe Mazzulla the COTY?

His team is a top 2 seed. They own the #2 offense, #3 net rating, and #9 defense in the NBA. They are essentially at a 54 win pace. 

While there have been some impressive coaching jobs this season, this is not a debate. 

The Bad

- Whatever the fuck this was

- Against the Rockets, we saw Joe experiment with the double big lineup, and it proved to be a great move. The Queta/Garza production was a huge reason why the Celts won that game. In a bit of a surprise twist, he stayed with it against the Heat. Unfortunately, it ended with the exact opposite result. The two big lineups got smoked, and that makes some sense givent he Heat are a small team who play fast. 

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But this is the beauty of Joe. He's able to own his mistakes and adjust on the fly, mid game

Once the Celts went back to their solo big lineups, everything about the game flipped.

As bad as the double big lineups went, this is what I want from Joe during the season. Try shit. If it's not working, show me you can identify that and adjust. I don't care if something doesn't work, that's basketball. Just figure out how to pivot and we're golden.

I don't think the Celts should abandon the double big, but I do think it there's a time and place for it. Bigger teams? Sure. Smaller, fast teams? Probably not. 

- I am so fucking sick of Andrew Wiggins. This is borderline Caleb Martin level. Not only did he rob me of a 2022 ring, but now every time the Celts play Andrew Wiggins I have to see him have a fake magnet ball? Fuck that. 26 points with 5 3PM? So fake. Wiggins hasn't done that all season, so of course it happens in a Heat/Celtics game and at a time where the Celts go 1-20 in a half from deep. OK. That's not annoying or anything.

His makes weren't even the annoying open ones that the Celts love to give up. He was making contested 3s, which made it even more infuriating. If they had lost this game due to a random Andrew Wiggins magnet ball, I might have lost it.

- I know he had 29 points. I know his scoring early is what kept this from being a 30 or 40 point game while the rest of the roster couldn't make a single jumper. I get all of that. 

I still didn't love how Jaylen Brown played. 

And this isn't an on/off thing. I get why those who are very anti-Jaylen have decided to weaponize that stuff and ignore context, as if it was Jaylen's fault White/Pritchard started 3-16 and Hauser missed every shot he took while the Celts got in an early hole. What I care about is what things look like while Jaylen is on the floor, and in my opinion, it did not look great.

It was a lot of the same problem areas that we often see when Jaylen has a stinker like this. High TOs (7), which are both a mix of offensive fouls and live-ball turnovers. We see him struggle to handle the Heat's reaching and physicality when it comes to his handle, which gave all of us PTSD of 2023.

His decision-making offensively often feels rushed, as he drives into the lane without a real plan, and then gets a bit stuck. This can lead to turnovers, inefficient shots, or offensive fouls. It feels like too often he tries to make something out of nothing, and the tie up with Bam on that fastbreak is a good example of what I mean.

Then there were also the 4 missed FTs (6-10).

But for me, despite all of that stuff above, which was objectively bad, what I hated most about Jaylen's night came on the very last play

That was bad. Very, very bad. 

Situationally, who gives a shit about a 2 in this spot. A layup does not beat you. Both Baylor and Neemy are there anyway to contest it, should the ball handler decide to go for the tie. There's absolutely no reason Jaylen needs to be in the paint here. I cannot imagine that's by design, because if so, what does that design accomplish? 

Losing sight of your man as he moves to the corner, I mean this is the exact look you could not give up in this situation. This, is bad

Hauser is in an impossible spot here. With how his momentum is going, it makes his ability to recover nearly impossible. It's why you can see, once he realizes and tries to get back how far away/long it takes for him to reach the shooter. By the time he's even in the area, the ball has already left the shooter's hand.

Jaylen, is way too deep under the rim, so his ability to recover is also beyond cooked. He's not able to get anywhere close to impacting the shot

Thankfully, the Celtics got a gigantic prayer and Davion Mitchell missed this gimme game winner. But that does not absolve Jaylen from his decision-making in this moment. I'd say 9 times out of 10, this loses you the game and we add yet another 1 possession loss to the list.

It sort of reminded me of when Jaylen helped off Harden in the corner during that Sixers series a few years ago. Again, if this was by design, well I don't love that either and frankly don't understand why that would be the move. So I can only assume that this was a mental error from Jaylen in an extremely high-leverage spot, something that simply cannot happen. 

The Ugly

- You now the rules, Celts win 5 in a row, and we move on!

Now I don't want to get ahead of myself, but the Celts now just need a 6-1 stretch to hit 40/20. Their schedule over the next 7 is pretty fucking brutal, but between beating the Rockets without their best players and then overcoming a 22 point deficit in this one, I don't think we can rule it out just yet. Beat the Knicks tomorrow? We might be cooking.