When the shocking Jaylen Brown trade went down, everyone and their mother was piling onto the Celtics. But as time has passed, there has been plenty of time to analyze the situation, understand why the deal was made, and come to more rational conclusions. And sure enough, people are slowly coming around on this Boston team.
The latest media mogul to throw his support behind the Celtics is none other than Brian Windhorst of ESPN. On the most recent Hoop Collective Podcast, Windy stated that he thinks the Cs will surprise people and have a very good year, possibly finishing with a top-5 record in the NBA.
“I just think Joe Mazzulla is going to be obsessed and the team is going to be obsessed with proving everybody wrong.”
This is a great perspective from Windhorst, and he hits the nail on the head. We all know what a psycho Joe can be, and we also know that he has been living with the brutal playoff loss, blowing a 3-1 lead all summer. Add to that all the talk about how the Celtics made an awful trade and destroyed their championship window, and it’s crazy to think someone as competitive as Mazzulla isn’t going to have a massive chip on his shoulder.
Why Joe Mazzulla’s 'obsession' makes Boston dangerous
That was the case last season when the team was written off after Jayson Tatum’s injury and the losses of Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and others, and Joe led Boston to a 56-win season.
This time around, I think the team can be even more motivated, and Joe, Brad Stevens, Tatum, and everyone else have heard all of the noise, and they’ve basically had to endure the rest of the league laughing at them for the last few months.
I’d be shocked if they don’t come out with an intense level of focus, yearning to stick it to the haters and prove every single doubter wrong. And now, Tatum and the rest of the roster are fully healthy. They’ve added players who fit the system very well. And all the young guys who came on last season have a full year of experience and an offseason under their belts.
Everyone expecting the Celtics to take a big step back is in for a rude awakening in a few months, and just as Windy said, there’s a real chance we’re looking at a top-5 team in the league this season. Whether they can get over the playoff hump and push for a title remains to be seen, but write them off at your own peril.
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