It is laughable at the moment, but Joe Mazzulla is the NBA's reigning Coach of the Year. The Boston Celtics coach got the honor after helping them play as well as they did without Jayson Tatum. Trading Jaylen Brown was them betting that Mazzulla Ball is their best course of action. Reinforcing that notion is the extensions they handed out this summer.
While the Brown trade reigns supreme as Boston's most high-profile move, the Celtics have extended three players who made themselves stand out in their own way last season, who played a part in why Boston survived Tatum's prolonged absence.
That includes Neemias Queta, their starting center.
Jordan Walsh, their lanky and lengthy wing defender.
And finally, Ron Harper Jr., who went from a training camp to playoff starter.
The recurring theme of their extensions was that they came back on team-friendly deals. In an NBA where the CBA is as restrictive as ever, Queta signed for $56 million over four years, Walsh signed for $15 million over three years, and Harper signed for $13.7 million over four years.
Plus, Queta and Walsh signed those extensions in addition to the last year of their current contracts.
What does this all signal? That they want to play for Mazzulla for the foreseeable future, but why?
Because Mazzulla unlocked them last year
Boston entered the season pretty low on options, as Tatum's Achilles tear was their biggest problem, but not their only one. Before the 2025-26 season started, if you had asked anyone their feelings on Queta, Walsh, or Harper's role on the team, the most optimistic simple answer would have been "meh."
But Queta turned himself into a Most Improved Player candidate, Walsh proved his defense wasn't just good but had the potential to be elite, and Harper flashed his two-way potential when Boston gave him the chance.
All three could have just waited out their current deals to market themselves for their next team. Them going out of their way to stay when they could have put it off all signal that they believe Mazzulla can get them to reach their individual potential as players.
All three showed enough promise to prove that they were keepers, and the fact that they stayed could also show that the best is yet to come from them and they believe playing under Mazzulla can help them do just that.
For a team to be successful, they need more than just talented players. They need players who buy into what the coach is trying to do. It's why last season went as well as it did despite everything that worked against them. By contrast, it's why infamous teams like the 2018-19 Celtics failed as badly as they did despite the overwhelming talent that should have worked in their favor.
Boston lost one of its best players they've ever had in this century, but they believe both Mazzulla and the players he's unlocked will make up the difference. The fact that they have three of them on team-friendly deals shows that they believe they will.
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