Boston Celtics must win for Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens’ job security

The Boston Celtics have gone all-in with the acquisitions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, so if this team doesn’t get over the top with these wholesale changes, head coach Joe Mazzulla and President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens could be on the hot seat says CBS Sports’ Bill Reiter.

“Several people across the NBA who talked to CBS Sports were most impressed by Boston’s moves,” Reiter prefaced before saying, “The Celtics, several pointed out, moved on from Brogdon — “a malcontent in Boston,” one said — upgraded offensively, swapped out Marcus Smart for Holiday, and still have ample future picks to use, if necessary. But the pressure’s on. Boston needs to make this new-look, much-more-offensive-minded team work to keep the heat off Mazzulla and — if that firewall is breached — Stevens himself.”

Unfortunately, as successful as Stevens’ tenure has been, being so aggressive in the trade market — including trading away two of Jayson Tatum’s best friends, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III — could age poorly if Banner 18 isn’t brought to Boston by the current group. Mazzulla will be the first to go if this team isn’t living up to their lofty preseason expectations.

Joe Mazzulla’s midseason struggles in 2022-23 leaves Boston Celtics tenure hanging in the balance

Mazzulla’s Boston Celtics peaked in his first few months with the franchise, crashing and burning around the All-Star break in February and never recovering in the postseason in series’ against the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks that went on too long; leading to an Eastern Conference Finals series loss against the Miami Heat they may have lost because of those prolonged early rounds.

Mazzulla, for the circumstances he became the C’s head coach, has been a hit — but he has hit singles and doubles when the fanbase needs him to hit a home run. If that moonshot doesn’t come, it won’t be Mazzulla overseeing the team’s stars for much longer.