Joe Mazzulla is set up to be fall guy for Boston Celtics this season

The Boston Celtics are as loaded as they have ever been in the 21st Century. The Celtics have everything needed to win a championship, with two All-NBA players, two All-Star caliber players, and a deep coaching staff. Ultimately, that leaves one potential fall guy if the season goes south: Joe Mazzulla.

Every season, teams have a scapegoat if things go bad or if the ultimate goal of a championship is not achieved. Last season, you could argue that the scapegoat was Marcus Smart and Mazzulla, due to their inability to get on the same page and the overall dysfunction in the locker room. The Celtics made it clear who they were riding with, as they traded Smart away and gave Mazzulla a deep coaching staff to help him grow as a coach.

The Boston Celtics’ additions of Charles Lee, Sam Cassell, and Jeff Van Gundy highlight that Mazzulla is set up for success, but he can also easily be replaced. This is both a blessing and a curse for Mazzulla because he is under enormous pressure in just his second year as a head coach.

Chemistry could be Joe Mazzulla’s undoing with the Boston Celtics

The Celtics most likely will be a juggernaut this season, but there is a chance the season goes south if injuries occur or if the chemistry does not click right away. If chemistry becomes an issue, Mazzulla will become the fall guy for the Boston Celtics, and he could be replaced.

I think if the Celtics get off to a slow start, Mazzulla will be replaced because the Cs don’t have time to mess around. The same is true if Boston fails to win the title because I think Mazzulla would be fired in that scenario.

It will be interesting to see how Mazzulla handles the pressure this season and how he adjusts from last year.