Celtics Know Nikola Vucevic Addition Requires a Rotation Reset

BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla doesn’t normally take the podium after games as conciliatory as he did on Friday night. His Celtics fell behind by 22 points late in the second quarter after starting 1-for-21 from three and he blamed himself for the team’s worst start all season.

“I thought that’s why we got off to a slow start was because of me and yesterday, probably trying to solve for the three what-if scenarios over the course of the rest of the season and get us ready for everything,” Mazzulla said. “Instead of, you know it’s a balance, what can we get ready for? Versus what do we just have to see in a game and then get ready from there. So I think when you add a piece, you’re trying to anticipate things. What’re the matchups? What’re the coverages? What’re the plays? What’re the reads in these plays? I thought I put the guys in a tough spot to start the game just processing all the what-if scenarios and I thought we were bogged down by those things and it impacted it. Once we simplified it and once the game went on and we were able to see those reads, I thought the guys did a much better job.”

The Celtics went from a perimeter-oriented team with three rotation guards at the trade deadline to one now managing three centers who deserve minutes. Mazzulla initially handled that by tapping into his wing depth, starting Baylor Scheierman over Payton Pritchard in wins over Dallas and Houston where Pritchard thrived. Pritchard shook off a slow start to play well again in Friday’s win over the Heat, but Boston went away from Scheierman in favor of Luka Garza to play all three big men in Nikola Vučević’s Celtics debut. That led to Boston falling behind 9-2 before Pritchard and Vučević entered the game, which mounted to a 58-36 deficit.

Boston only generated 23 points from its starting group, 17 from Jaylen Brown, before halftime and scored their fewest points (38) in a first half all season. Poor shooting played into it, but the Celtics’ changes at the deadline narrowed their play-making between their first and second units while a shift to a double-big starting lineup with Garza and Neemias Queta bogged down the offense with a look Boston hadn’t played all season. The Celtics turned the game around by playing Scheierman, Pritchard and Vučević more in a 36-15 third quarter. The comeback still left questions about the team’s play-making depth and how they’ll utilize all three centers. Garza did not play in the quarter. 

“We started double-big, which we haven’t had a lot of time on,” Derrick White said. “That didn’t have anything to do with Vooch, but it’s a fine balance of trying to get him up to speed with what we’re doing, but also not try to give him too much information and have him out there thinking. He’s played the game for a long time and knows how to play, and he’s just trying to learn the different reads and stuff that we do that’s probably different than what he’s had to do the last few years, but I’m pretty confident he’ll pick it up pretty quickly and he made some really big plays for us tonight.”

Vučević made an immediate impact as a +11 in 28 minutes, closing over Queta, who played 21:50, and delivering 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists on 4-for-8 shooting in his Celtics debut. Mazzulla praised how vigorously Vučević studied their system, earlier in the day acknowledging that he could draw from playing against Boston and some similarities to Chicago’s offense and defense, but also noting significant differences in where the Celtics position their big men. Vučević and teammates missed connections on several passes, Boston over-passed instead of shooting sometimes and committed 14 turnovers. The Celtics shot 10-for-36 from three, generating less shot attempts than Miami.

The performance didn’t resemble the cruising unit that emerged as one of the most cohesive and efficient units in the NBA before the trade deadline. The Celtics posted a 106.5 offensive rating in the win, miles from their 120.5 mark for the season and even a far cry from their short-handed efforts against the Mavs (115.8) and Rockets (126.7). Jordan Walsh and Ron Harper Jr. did not play, Scheierman appeared almost too late and the Celtics’ defensive structure appeared less disruptive early before returning those wing-oriented looks.

Brad Stevens defended the Celtics’ deadline move on Friday by saying Boston needed another center more than a guard, though Anfernee Simons reached a comfort level in their system and trust from the coaching staff that took since last July to develop. He stepped into the Bulls’ lineup on Thursday and 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Of course, there’s the argument that Vučević delivered what the Celtics needed late in their win where Queta and Garza didn’t have it. Those will now become nightly decisions for Mazzulla, who Vučević said discussed playing a variety of lineups upon his arrival.

“Obviously this summer we had to get under the second apron. Every basketball reason in the world for that and it was the right thing to do,” Stevens said. “The directive at this deadline was let’s see if we can find some size that we can give ourselves a little more depth there and make sure that we’re more prepared for some of the physicality that’s coming down the road if we’re able to be in the playoffs and however long you’re in the playoffs. You have to have that. There’s just a physical toll that can be taken on a team.”

A Jayson Tatum return would’ve come with a rotation overhaul too, and that could answer many of the outstanding questions left from the deadline: ball-handling, lineup balance and the fifth starter that could become a nightly rotating door. He would’ve left Simons with even fewer shots and minutes than he already experienced in his bench role, though Stevens said on Friday that Tatum’s status had little to do with the move while also leaving the door open to a return this season.

The Celtics have also signaled that the deadline came with no mandate to avoid the luxury tax, and a series of trades that slid them below the threshold came as a result of them drawing close enough to accomplish it. Boston will still need to time its remaining roster signings and utilize its two-way players perfectly to stay below the tax line this season, and there are benefits long-term to avoiding repeater tax status by staying below that line again next year, but Stevens said it’s possible something could push Boston above that line again in 2026-27.

Meanwhile, the Celtics have 30 games left to reshape their identity after firmly establishing it to begin the season, their strength above all else. And while Vučević fills a need, the team increased its flexibility and perhaps addressed looming challenges with Simons’ role and future, they might not have made themselves a better team for the moment. Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, however, is a believer.

“He fits very well, in theory, of how they want to play,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a great stretch five, he plays 0.5 (second) basketball, moves it quick. Just a very smart veteran player with a lot of experience. So you have to respect that, but they’re good regardless. They’re where they are in the conference for a reason.”