Celtics 2025-26 Regular Season Discussion

[Jiri Welsch]

82 games is a long season, so I think they are bound to win some games just by out working their opponents on a given night.

Between that method and the occasional night when they are shooting lights out from 3 (hasn?t happened yet besides part of the Cavs game ? but is bound to) I anticipate them being a .500 squad.

My question is: How can they best set themselves up to actually compete next year?

[mobilija]

82 games is a long season, so I think they are bound to win some games just by out working their opponents on a given night.

Between that method and the occasional night when they are shooting lights out from 3 (hasn?t happened yet besides part of the Cavs game ? but is bound to) I anticipate them being a .500 squad.

My question is: How can they best set themselves up to actually compete next year?

I think they are setting themselves up. By 1) giving developmental players reps and 2) establishing a culture of frenetic effort and defense. Brad still needs to increase the talent pool externally but internal growth is heading in a positive direction so far.

[slightly biased bias fan]

82 games is a long season, so I think they are bound to win some games just by out working their opponents on a given night.

Between that method and the occasional night when they are shooting lights out from 3 (hasn?t happened yet besides part of the Cavs game ? but is bound to) I anticipate them being a .500 squad.

My question is: How can they best set themselves up to actually compete next year?

This is the issue I have been raising.

I said before the season started, that this roster is a play-in level team with an insanely competitive head coach. Nothing about this season will help the Celtics challenge next season. Mazulla will not play the rookies consistently to help them develop, he is only concerned with winning as many games as possible.

Look at the 76ers, if they do not get V. J. Edgecombe, what does their future look like? Dallas benched their stars at the end of the 2022-23 season and were able to draft Dereck Lively. The next season Dallas makes the Finals, with Lively significantly contributing.

[Neurotic Guy]

82 games is a long season, so I think they are bound to win some games just by out working their opponents on a given night.

Between that method and the occasional night when they are shooting lights out from 3 (hasn?t happened yet besides part of the Cavs game ? but is bound to) I anticipate them being a .500 squad.

My question is: How can they best set themselves up to actually compete next year?

This is the issue I have been raising.

I said before the season started, that this roster is a play-in level team with an insanely competitive head coach. Nothing about this season will help the Celtics challenge next season. Mazulla will not play the rookies consistently to help them develop, he is only concerned with winning as many games as possible.

Look at the 76ers, if they do not get V. J. Edgecombe, what does their future look like? Dallas benched their stars at the end of the 2022-23 season and were able to draft Dereck Lively. The next season Dallas makes the Finals, with Lively significantly contributing.

I'm curious why you wrote this today after it seems pretty clear that Mazulla IS playing his youth consistently.  Minott and Hugo are the biggest stories so far for the Celtics. Hugo is averaging 15 mpg and that is on the rise. Minott 22 mpg also heading upward.  Mazulla is also playing youth in crunch time.  There are things to complain about but not playing the young this year (other than Walsh) has not been one of them.