History has been proof of the Boston Celtics’ might over the years. NBA champions for 18 seasons! That just cannot be a matter of joke right? Besides Joe Mazzulla’s leadership has transformed them into a fearsome team that can pin down anyone in the league. But, that was for the 2023-24 NBA season. They boasted one of the most lethal starting lineups with big names like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and others. However, the group’s remarkable talent has yet to yield success in their pursuit of a repeat.

With a 29-13 record, the Boston Celtics remain the 2nd seed of the East. Their latest defeat against the Atlanta Hawks seems nothing less than a nightmare. Well, it could’ve been a winning night, had Jrue Holiday not fouled, thus leading into OT. And there is nothing much for Joe Mazzulla to do than hold himself and his boys accountable for the 115-119 loss.

Even the media isn’t mincing words aimed at the C’s head coach. Speaking in the post-game presser, 36-year-old Mazzulla pointed out that one of the reporters looked “demoralized.” He said: “Your body language is, I mean you look demoralized.” The reporter in return bluntly responded: “I’m not demoralized, I mean I can’t be perky. You guys just like really blew a game like this.” Ouch!

Mazzulla had no response for a second except for a smile. Then he replied: “Yeah we sure did. We blew that one. That was bad. You don’t get the spirits up by having honest communication. But at the same time, we got to play another game. We don’t have time though, I mean, I guess we have time. We have a long flight, but we just don’t have the time to worry about it. Like, you know, we’ll learn from it. There’s an accountability thing, there’s communication in there.” 

The Celtics are going to San Francisco to face the Golden State Warriors on Monday, January 20. It surely is a long flight from the east to the west. And the team would have time to work on their errors. But then one thorn that keeps hurting now is their terrible loss against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. An unbelievable 110-97 defeat with the Golden 5 in the starting lineup.

Maybe, the Celtics need to shake things up a bit.

Joe Mazzulla faces tough choices to ignite the team’s competitive edge

Boston’s “preferred” starting lineup of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kristaps Porzingis holds a modest 5-5 record this season. On Wednesday in Toronto, that lineup hit a wall. The Celtics stumbled on both ends, unraveling in a humbling 110-97 defeat. Following Wednesday’s puzzling loss, NBC Sports Boston analyst Brian Scalabrine hinted at a shake-up. He suggested it might be time for Joe Mazzulla to tinker with the lineup. Perhaps the bench holds the spark they need?

“Joe Mazzulla might have to make a tough decision right here,” Scalabrine said. ” ‘You know what? I’ve got a lot of dogs on this bench, I’m just gonna go with the guys who are playing the hardest. I’m just gonna go with maybe the ‘Stay Ready Group’ or Pritchard, (Sam) Hauser, you can throw (Luke) Kornet in there, Al Horford.’ If those guys are making an impact, you just have to go with those guys.”

“I wonder at what point does Joe say, ‘All right if we’re not gonna play with that edge, I’m just gonna go with the guy who’s gonna play with that edge.’ That’s a hard thing to do when you’ve got a team like we have. It’s almost as if we have too many good players,” Scalabrine added. Midseason slumps are no stranger to defending champions. Porzingis, fresh off an injury, and Pritchard, always maximizing his minutes, stood out for their hustle in Wednesday’s loss. Meanwhile, the starters seemed trapped in a “wake us up when it’s playoff time” haze.

Therefore, tough decisions are ahead for Joe Mazzulla. Balancing star power with bench energy may reignite their spark. The Celtics can’t afford complacency in their repeat quest. Whether a lineup changes or more edge from the starters, urgency, accountability, and adaptability are crucial. The talent is there—now, it’s about matching the fire.