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Analyst picks apart 2 Joe Mazzulla Game 1 Boston Celtics adjustments that didn’t work

By Andrew Hughes

The Ringer's Zach Kram picked apart 2 specific Joe Mazzulla adjustments for the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the conference finals against Miami that failed (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Ringer's Zach Kram picked apart 2 specific Joe Mazzulla adjustments for the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the conference finals against Miami that failed (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals didn’t go the Boston Celtics’ way, with the Heat — who were given a 3% chance of advancing to the NBA Finals and deemed an 8-point underdog at the spread — upsetting the Cs at the TD Garden. Joe Mazzulla made significant changes to his rotation, playing the not-oft-deployed Payton Pritchard, but he also started Robert Williams III for the third straight game after the double-big lineup with Al Horford helped saved the team’s season in the east semifinals against the Sixers.

Both decisions turned out to be the wrong ones to make according to The Ringer’s Zach Kram — who called out both in contributing to Miami’s shocking Game 1 victory in a series most counted them out in beforehand.

“Coach Joe Mazzulla’s surprise insertion of Payton Pritchard into the rotation didn’t work, as the reserve guard didn’t score a point in 12 minutes of action,” Kram wrote. “And while Robert Williams III remained in the starting lineup against Miami after his inclusion turned around the Celtics’ series against the 76ers, the Heat looked more comfortable when Boston played two bigs instead of spreading out with four guards and wings at a time.”

Jimmy Butler gives Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla advice ahead of Game 2

Jimmy Butler is so confident following a 35-point, seven-assist, five-rebound Game 1 outburst that he gave the Boston Celtics coaching staff advice in a post-game press conference on what the team should do differently in Game 2.

“(Smart) was making all the right plays and (the Celtics) made a lot of shots,” Butler said. “He defended incredibly well. Made shots, too. I think they will watch film and see that they probably have to utilize him more. I would.”

It’d be something to see Smart go off in Game 2. Then again, Butler may just have something else hidden underneath his sleeve in his suggestion. Butler is the ultimate competitor, don’t think he isn’t showing some gamesmanship with these comments.

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