BOSTON — When it comes to bows, there are plenty to go around here when it comes to the 2023-24 Boston Celtics, winners of 80 games and, more importantly, championship No. 18.
This franchise appeared headed to championship contention with the addition of Kyrie Irving (via trade) and Gordon Hayward (via free agency), mixed in with the new kids on the block in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
But Hayward’s career went south minutes into his Celtics career due to an ankle injury and Kyrie, come to find out, had no interest in the Celtic Mystique.
The franchise was in turmoil, finding itself, reloading a bit and trended in the right direction. But the trend was a little slow for some.
Until now.
The Celtics won their 18th banner, finally, and there are a lot of people that deserve notice. A lot.
Here are some that should take a bow.
Take a bow, owner Wyc Grousbeck
It starts at the top. The patience this man had has been virtuous. The Danny Ainge-to-Brad Stevens handoff was thought to be risky, a pro basketball neophyte, taking over as the face of the franchise. Then it was signing off on humongous contracts and the desire to upgrade this team this year, sending the popular Marcus Smart away. He was committed to waiting this out. and justly rewarded.
Take a bow, team president Brad Stevens
Stevens copped NBA’s Executive of the Year Award for his maneuvers, dealing away Smart, Robert Williams and Malcolm Brogdon and bringing in Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Both deals took some outside-the-box thinking, and both catapulted the Celtics to oddsmakers’ favorite to win the NBA championship. It couldn’t have worked out any better, adding two players, both good guys, who were willing to accept lesser roles than they’ve had in their careers. and there were two other moves, acquiring/stealing Derrick White from San Antonio and hiring an unknown, Joe Mazzulla, from out of nowhere to replace Ime Udoka and lead this team.
Take a bow, Joe Mazzulla
Talk about growth? Mazzulla was thrust into a situation unfathomable, taking over a team that went to the NBA Finals. His quirky press conferences and coaching style – the guy refused to call timeouts – had many wondering if he was the right guy for the job, akin to handing the keys of a $200K Maserati to a 16-year-old kid.
There were bumps in Year 1, but Stevens stuck with his pick and Year 2 couldn’t have been more seamless. Mazzulla’s passion to coach, his fast-moving mind and his rugged nature (big MMA fan) won over his players. They trusted him, particularly Tatum and Brown. He outmaneuvered Erik Spoelstra, Rick Carlisle and Jason Kidd, all with NBA championship pedigree.
Take a bow, Danny Ainge
While Ainge left for Utah, his replacement, Stevens, was his ultimate outside-the-box hire out of Butler University. Ainge also made the trade to the Brooklyn Nets which netted a pair of No. 3 overall picks and chose the right guys, Brown in 2016 and Tatum in 2017. Those two players are the cornerstone of the franchise. He also was part of bringing Mazzulla aboard as a secondary assistant/G-League coach. The first Al Horford signing was his doing, too. Basically, his fingerprints are still here, not to mention his son Austin Ainge, an underling with Stevens.
Take a bow, Jayson Tatum
Despite a career of winning and big-time playoff basketball, Tatum’s desire to be recognized as a superstar “appeared” to take over his persona. But as we saw in the playoffs, when his shot went south for most of the two months, he accepted the role as facilitator, creator and rebounder. Oh yeah, and he still led the team in scoring. Tatum didn’t win either MVP Award in the Eastern Conference and NBA Finals, but he acquiesced, which for that caliber of a player is easier said than done. He appeared to genuinely appreciate being a champion.
Take a bow, MVP Jaylen Brown
Something was different about Brown this season. He had an edge to him. He also had a little better handle on the ball, a problem in previous years. Brown asserted himself, on a regular basis, like never before. Did it go unnoticed? He didn’t make the top 15 players on the All-NBA teams and, as we heard during a playoff presser, he admitted not appreciating the fact he is not appreciated more. Well, that is not a problem anymore. His Game 1 shot to tie the game at regulation was the biggest shot of the series and his game rose to another level on both sides. He was the Celtics MVP and gives the team a 1A and 1B look going forward.
Take a bow, Al Horford
Most championship teams have a “We want to win one for the Gipper” storyline and Horford was it. His 194 career playoff games, 11th most all-time, played into his “story.” But the best part of Horford was his embracing of Celtics Pride. He, unlike Kyrie, drank the green Kool-Aid by the gallon. Playing a role, which started out as an All-Star center before becoming a sixth man, was emblematic of what this franchise has represented. The Celtics never lost a beat when Kristaps Porzingis went down for 38 days because of Horford, whose minutes, production and energy were elevated. and it wasn’t just his open shot-making. He defended all positions and he rebounded. To see him rewarded was one of the best pleasures of this run and how genuinely so many people with the organization were happy for him.
Take a bow, Jrue Holiday
This was like a gift from above. The Celtics have been knocking on the door for several years, but there was always some sort of collapse. Holiday became available thanks to the Milwaukee Bucks obsession with Damien Lillard and Stevens had the chits to get him here. Holiday added stability. When the team needed scoring, which wasn’t often, he stepped up, as he did to open Game 5 on Monday when Tatum and Brown were struggling. His one-on-one defense, though, may have defined the playoffs and really the finals. Nothing was easy for the Mavericks.
Take a bow, Derrick White
The thinking person’s favorite Celtic, you could always count on White. He hit big shots and he blocked big shots. He always seemed to be around in the biggest moments. White, like Holiday, could add five points to his stats on most other teams, but here accepted the role as a “player.” When Smart was dealt away, White importance grew. He was on the floor at the end of all games. While he never won a championship he had championship DNA. A quiet man off the court, his game was loud.
Take a bow, Kristaps Porzingis
Nobody enjoyed this entire 2023-24 season run than Porzingis. He started off with a bang his the Celtics opener and never let up. He changed the way teams played the Celtics offense, opening up lanes for Tatum and Brown. and his shot from 30 feet was formidable. He also added value defending the rim. The Celtics knew they were getting a semi-injury prone Porzingis and were careful with him the entire season. Another “good guy” addition, he always seemed to have that smile. He was a perfect fit, adding length and joy to this franchise.
Take a bow, Payton Pritchard
Dave Roberts and “The Steal” have nothing on Pritchard and his half-court shot, which helped seal probably two NBA Finals wins over the Mavs. His half-courter to end the third quarter of Game 2 halted a Mavs 7-0 run and his half-courter to end the half in Game 5 basically ended the game, putting the C’s ahead by 21. Afterward, Mazzulla called him “One of my favorite people in the world.” Pritchard’s game elevated this entire season and he became more than an “energy” guy, scoring 9.6 points per game, four more than a year ago. Expect his role to grow more going forward.
Take a bow, Sam Hauser
While Hauser, like Pritchard, picked up his production two-fold this season, he had some struggles finding his shot in the playoffs. He found his shot in the finals, canning 11 of 19 treys outside of his 0-for-5 in Game 2. Hauser was a weapon with this spread offense allowing Tatum and Brown more room to do what they do best, which is drive to the basket. Another great find by Stevens.
Take a bow, Pierce, McHale, Garnett, et al
The old Celtics champs broke out of the woodwork this year and especially come playoff time. Celtics Pride, which is over-the-top for many, is what has driven this organization’s push to compete for championships. The current players understand that this is bigger than a city. This is about history.
Take a bow, from the grave, Red Auerbach
While he is no longer with us, Auerbach’s influence on this organization, which dates back to 1950, when he started as coach, lives on. This current team lived up to his motto of unselfish, team-first play. Even those who were not the biggest Celtics fans, for obvious reasons, admired the 2023-24 Celtics drive to win over everything else. It started with Red. and it is still alive and well.
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.
