If you’ve been following the blog closely, you may have noticed that I’ve been strongly advocating for the Celtics to add a new voice to the end of the bench and give Joe Mazzulla another strong assistant. I’ve generally been pining for a veteran with head-coaching experience for a different perspective.
Someone like Tom Thibodeau, Terry Stotts, Mike Budenholzer, or Frank Vogel would be perfect, as all of those guys have seen it all in the NBA and won at the highest level. The Celtics have great assistants, but the staff has lost a lot of talent, and a new, unique perspective to help with the minutiae could be a major positive.
None of those names has actually been linked to Boston, and I have no idea if any of them would even be interested in that opportunity. They’ll each likely seek another head coaching position, if any job at all, but I can still dare to dream.
Former Celtics legend would be dreamlike option to join Mazzulla's staff
Another name that wouldn’t quite fit the mold I’ve been begging for, but would check a lot of other boxes and perhaps be an even better option, is Rajon Rondo. Rondo, of course, started his career with the Cs, winning a title in 2008 and becoming an iconic point guard for the franchise.
Rondo got into coaching as an assistant for his old coach, Doc Rivers, with the Bucks in 2024 and just finished his second season in the business. But Doc is gone, and Milwaukee is staring at a rebuild. Rondo was floated as a candidate for the head job in New Orleans, but that position went to Jahmal Mosley.
Rajon could be seeking a more prominent assistant role, and there couldn’t be a more perfect landing spot than in Boston, where he became one of the best players in the NBA. What Rondo lacks in coaching experience, he makes up for in spades with his experience as a player in the league for 16 seasons.
Rondo's toughness much-needed in Boston
He has pretty much done and seen it all, and likely knows more about the league than most people alive. He could bring a unique experience as a recent veteran player in the league, someone who played in All-Star games, won championships, and displayed one of the highest competitive spirits and basketball IQs that we’ve seen in recent memory.
On top of that, he brings intangibles in his leadership and edge, and could bring his legendary toughness back to Boston in a way that should mesh well with Mazzulla, but also offer a taste of the last generation that could be lacking.
And besides, Rondo is the man. Nobody wanted his Celtics career to end, but with the Big 3 gone, it made sense to move on and start a rebuild. But with the news that Isaiah Thomas is making his long-overdue return as a scout, it’s a great time to do the same with another Boston hero.
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