BOSTON — Early last spring, as the Celtics statistically dropped to becoming the slowest team in the NBA by averaging 93 possessions per game over the final two months, Joe Mazzulla stressed that there are many definitions of pace. Aside from the flawed possession count, teams look at how quickly they cross half court, get into their actions and position themselves to take a shot. After a win at Memphis to end March, Mazzulla approximated 67% of the Celtics’ possessions started with 18 seconds on the shot clock.
Yet when the playoffs arrived, Boston’s pace only sunk further. They averaged 91.7 possessions per game, which only the Magic posted fewer than in the first round. Orlando pulled them into the mud, and Boston thrived at methodically searching for mismatches, but into the New York series, as Kristaps Porziņģis’ play deteriorated, Jaylen Brown struggled through his knee injury and Jayson Tatum succumbed to an Achilles tear, the Celtics’ offense grinded to a halt. It became Brad Stevens’ biggest takeaway from the six game loss.
“When we got stagnant and we played without pace, and you could just feel it,” Stevens said in July. “You could see the walking up. You could see all that. I think we’re going to try to address some of that.”
Stevens also mentioned several times during the offseason how the Celtics would need to alter their play style to account for significant roster changes. They would need to play to their strengths. While he didn’t specify how they would adjust, Payton Pritchard already previewed a faster offensive approach late in the Knicks series after Tatum went down. Then, Boston acquired numerous efficient cutters during the offseason, raising the prospect of cutting more than 6.5 times per game as a team, which ranked 26th last year. Stevens said they’ll give input, organizationally, about the value different players can provide while letting the coaching staff determine styles and systems.
At media day on Monday, Celtics players collectively previewed a faster pace on offense while playing more aggressively on defense. Jordan Walsh also mentioned that Mazzulla discussed Boston playing hockey lineups, subbing in four or five bench players at a time to play with maximum energy. Mazzulla and his coaching staff have studied league trends while trying to stay ahead on them, one of them being the pressing that the Pacers employed throughout their run to the Finals. Boston utilized that more consistently in 2024 than 2025, while the Celtics have leaned conservative between trying to force more turnovers and staying disciplined defensively. That could change now.
“We definitely speak about … the pace we want to play with,” Josh Minott said. “We want to be the fastest team. We want to have no lag time in any decision-making we do, whether that be taking the ball out after a bucket, or transition. Just definitely making it a point of emphasis … I’d say a lot of the stuff I’ve been working on is different ways I can use my athleticism and defense to make, I guess, ‘calculated risks.’ Whether that be when I’m square on the ball, swiping at the ball. I’ve learned a lot of interesting things here, truthfully, that I’ve never heard of. Back-peddling on close-outs, new concepts that are really cool that people introduced here … we’re learning. It’s not just all running up and down. It’s just as much mental.”
Part of that shift will involve integrating seven new players to Boston’s system, which Brown sees prioritizing defense, unselfishness and versatility while empowering different players. Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard shied away from over-emphasizing themselves as part of sustaining through Tatum’s absence, and all remained willing to take steps back to prioritize others. Anfernee Simons received clearance to be himself, while drawing a challenge from Mazzulla over his defensive consistency.
Pritchard drew a line from the new aggressiveness the team will play with on defense and how it will set up their faster offensive attack. For Mazzulla, who emphasizes the turnover margin as one of the keys to the game, he was able to have a defense that forced some of the fewest takeaways in the NBA by rarely committing them on offense. Whatever greater pace they embrace will come with more giveaways, and they already built a narrow margin in that department. So along with new talent, the Celtics will need to adapt how they win games. It helps that their returning leaders, and some new faces like Luka Garza, love to run.
“I definitely think we need to adapt,” Pritchard said. “We do not have the same team, a lot of different players. I think we need to play a lot faster.”
