Parquet Magazine: Aligning the Stars

BOSTON – Brad Stevens has never been afraid to make a bold move throughout his two-plus years as Celtics president of basketball operations.

The summer of 2023 proved that point even further, as Stevens and his basketball operations staff made a couple of the more audacious trades of the NBA offseason, emphasizing a win-now mindset.

To give some background, the Celtics were already in a great place heading into the summer. They had made five Conference Finals appearances over the previous seven seasons – more than any other team during that span. In 2022, one of those ECF bids resulted in a trip to the NBA Finals, where they came up two wins shy of a championship against the Golden State Warriors.

Despite their success, there was a mounting feeling of frustration stemming from coming up short of the ultimate goal year after year.

“It couldn’t be more frustrating,” managing partner and governor Wyc Grousbeck reflected ahead of the 2023-24 season. “I think out of annoyance and regret comes, what do we do to make it better?”

It was time for a shakeup. So, the Celtics parted ways with a few core members of the team to make room for some new stars, hoping to create the perfect combination for a title team.

It wasn’t easy. Stevens had to make some of the more difficult decisions of his basketball career, as he said goodbye to the quintessential Celtic in Marcus Smart, to the reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, and to fan-favorite Rob Williams via trades, while also losing vocal leader Grant Williams in free agency.

The return haul, however, was remarkable: two proven stars in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, both of whom could be inserted into a starting lineup already featuring two All-NBA players in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

But before we begin the journey, let’s take a look back at how the offseason unfurled. How Stevens assembled his star-studded, basketball version of the Avengers in an attempt to take down the rest of the NBA in pursuit of Banner 18.

Last season’s playoff exit produced a whirlwind of emotions for the Celtics: there was displeasure, panic, hope, elation, and ultimately, disappointment.

After falling behind the Miami Heat 0-3 in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics urgently fought back to tie the series. Following Derrick White’s miraculous Game-6-winning tip-in at the buzzer in Miami, all momentum had shifted in Boston’s direction. They had a realistic chance to pull off the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history.

TD Garden was buzzing as loud as ever leading up to Game 7 tip-off, but all life was sucked out of the building on the first possession of the game when Tatum drove to the basket and came down awkwardly on his left ankle. With their star player hobbled for the rest of the game, the Celtics were unable to adjust and fell 103-84 to their Eastern Conference rival.

It was an incredible feat to even have a chance to win that series after virtually everyone had counted them out down 0-3, but there was no sense of moral victory inside the locker room that night. The franchise was tired of coming up short, and although it clearly had the tools to contend, it was felt that getting over the hump would require change.

The first adjustment came on draft night. It was likely one of the toughest decisions that Stevens has ever had to make in his life.

Just after the draft was over, the team announced that it had traded Smart, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and the rights to the 35^th overall pick as part of a three-way trade with Washington and Memphis. Smart wound up with the Grizzlies. Gallinari and Muscala were shipped to the Wizards, and in exchange, the Celtics landed Porzingis from Washington and two first-round picks from Memphis.

There’s no denying it: this one hurt emotionally. Smart had been the longest-tenured player on the team, its heart and soul for nine seasons, and his vocal leadership and community impact would be missed.

However, from the business side, it made all too much sense. The Celtics had a logjam of talent at point guard between a former Defensive Player of the Year in Smart, an All-Defense selectee in White, the Sixth Man of the Year in Brogdon, and a talented backup in Payton Pritchard, who had gotten the short end of the minutes stick as a result.

Meanwhile, the frontcourt was thin. There’s no question that Al Horford and Rob Williams needed some support up there, and the addition of Porzingis would make for a beautiful fit (at least for now – more on that later).

“I’ve played against him over the years,” Horford said, “but when you see a guy like that – he’s really 7-3, maybe even a little taller – just the way he moves, his feel for the game and some of the things he brings, I’m just really excited … I’m excited for what’s ahead for him because he is that player that I feel like is going to have a big impact.”

Porzingis, a former All-Star, was coming off his best season after averaging career highs of 23.2 points per game on 49.7 percent shooting from the field along with 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 blocks and a 38.5 percent shooting clip from long-range. He also left quite the final impression on the Celtics on March 28 when he logged 32 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in a 130-111 Wizards win.

“He has just gotten better and better and better,” Stevens said of Porzingis after the trade. “You see what he was doing this year, and I thought the games that we played against him and the games that I watched with the most intent against other teams, I thought he just had really taken another step, too. He was already good, but he just took another step. He can play defensively the way we want to. He is a deterrent at the rim, and he’s a super-skilled basketball player. We didn’t post a ton this year, but to be able to throw the ball in the post and just shoot over a switch and do it so efficiently and effectively is a big deal, let alone being able to play behind the line, shoot the ball or drive it or those types of things. He brings a lot to our team. You can envision, as I can envision, some of the lineups we can put out there size-wise right now are pretty intriguing and without dropping any skill at all.”

Stevens also envisioned Porzingis having a key role for the foreseeable future, so he acted quickly by signing Porzingis to a contract extension shortly after the trade.

As for what Porzingis could envision, his mind went straight to winning. Since entering the NBA in 2015, he had only made two playoff appearances (both with the Dallas Mavericks) and had never made it past the first round. The Celtics alone last season played in double the amount of playoff games (20) than Porzingis has played in his entire career (10).

“I've been around the league a little bit and at the end, that's what matters is winning,” said Porzingis. “I had different opportunities to go somewhere else and maybe have a bigger role, and maybe even make more money, but I wanted to come here. I wanted to come to Boston just because of the opportunity to play for such an iconic organization with great players that are already here, that are very close, and hopefully, I can come in here and bring more to that.”

Part of his vision is helping the Jays maximize their potential. They have never played alongside such a versatile offensive big who will be demanding attention both on the perimeter and in the post. Last season, Porzingis was both the most efficient high-volume shooter from straightaway center beyond the arc, and the most efficient post scorer in the league when it comes to points per post up.

Just imagine the pressure he could take off the Jays by having such a variety of scoring skills.

“I want to come here to make life easier for those guys,” Porzingis said. “Hopefully with my skill set and my talent, I can take some pressure off of those guys. I’ve come here to try to make this team better, and I'm excited to play with such high-level guys who have been there from year to year and have that experience already. So, I think it can be a great combination."

To make that notion even juicier, those three players have yet to enter their respective primes. Tatum turns 26 on March 3, Brown turned 27 on Oct. 24, and Porzingis turned 28 on Aug. 2. Typically, the prime years for a star are around 28-32, and these guys could be playing alongside each other for the majority of those years.

“I think these are the best years for a basketball player,” Porzingis agreed. “You are physically there and mentally, you are getting to a different level. I think the work paid off for me (last season). I looked at my game, I looked at how I could be more efficient and just really analyzed myself and it paid off last season, all the work I put in off the court to stay healthy. My body is maturing and getting to that age helped. I believe I have some great, high-level years ahead of me.”

Unfortunately, Porzingis experienced a minor health hiccup over the summer when he developed plantar fasciitis in his right foot. At the time of the diagnosis, he was with the Latvian national team preparing for the FIBA World Cup. He could’ve played through the injury, and he sure would have loved to have had the chance to represent his country on such a big stage. Instead, he opted to play it safe and rest up so that he could be ready in time for training camp with his new NBA team.

“The smart decision was for me to sit out and make sure the foot gets to recover before I start the season, and that’s what I did,” Porzingis said. “It was a tough decision. I know it may not seem like it was such a big deal, but it was a big deal for me not to be able to play for my country in the World Cup. Really, like it hurt my soul. But I knew it was the right decision, I’m glad I made the tough decision in that moment, and now I’m 100 percent to start the season.”

Porzingis had totally bought into the team before even playing a game.

Meanwhile, Stevens bought into making one more major roster move before having his team hit the court.

On Aug. 27, the Milwaukee Bucks rocked the NBA world by dealing for the most coveted trade target of the summer: Damian Lillard. The arrival of the seven-time All-NBA point guard from Portland meant that the Bucks now had the top two scorers in the league over the previous five seasons combined, and they were instantly thrust to the forefront of the championship conversation.

Where the Celtics came in was the aftermath of the trade. In order to get Lillard, Milwaukee had to part ways with Holiday. However, a rebuilding team like Portland had more interest in stocking up on assets than taking on a veteran with a big contract, so other teams started bidding on the 33-year-old guard.

Boston’s bid won.

On Oct. 1, the Celtics shipped out Brogdon, Rob Williams, and two future first-round picks (one of which was acquired in the Smart trade) to Portland in exchange for Holiday. It was another emotionally-crushing trade, but it was also another no-brainer. Because just like that, Boston had landed another star.

Holiday is a two-time All-Star, including last season. He’s earned five consecutive All-Defense nods, including three to the First Team. He’s won three Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Awards, which is two more than anyone else has ever won. And, above all, he’s a champion. Skill-wise, he’s a versatile scorer, a pristine passer and playmaker, a defensive ball hawk, and a locker-room leader.

Essentially, he has it all.

Stevens had his eyes set on Holiday for years. He said he used to go into the office of his predecessor, Danny Ainge, every year to ask if there were any strings that could be pulled to acquire the highly respected guard.

Years later, Stevens finally had the chance to pull those strings himself, and he seized the opportunity.

“There’s a list of guys in the league that you always think you’ll never have a real chance to get, that you think are perfect fits and that you’d love to be a Celtic, and Jrue is one of those guys,” Stevens said at Celtics Media day, one day after the trade was completed. “The reasons are, I mean, everybody can see what he does on the court and he’s a really good player, multiple-time All-Star, the defense has been well-documented, et cetera, but I think it’s just he’s an elite teammate, an elite competitive character, all of those things.

“You knew the price was going to be really high, but he’s a guy that we think is a great fit for us and does so many good things on and off the court for us.”

Knowing that his stay in Portland would be short, Holiday began putting together a list of potential next stops and put Boston at the top of that list. It was totally out of his control, but he could still dream, and he manifested that dream into existence.

“I had hopes of being here,” Holiday emphasized at his introductory press conference during the first week of training camp. “Sometimes you don't want to get your hopes up, just because you can get your heart broken that way. But once I ended up getting traded here, that's what I was committed to.”

Why was he committed to Boston?

Because, he said, “I feel like coming here is definitely my best chance of winning.”

The Celtics believe that adding Holiday to their roster also enhances their chances of winning. Not just because of what he offers on the court, but also what he adds in the locker room.

“Any time you can add character, I think it's a win,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla. “We have that in our building, we've had that in our building, and now added that into our building.”

Some of Holiday’s new teammates see it as a match that is just too good to be true. Horford, for instance, has played across from Holiday for the entirety of the latter’s 14-year career, and always saw him as the ideal locker-room addition.

“Having the opportunity to play with Jrue, somebody that I respect so much and look from afar with admiration, just the type of player he is, the type of person he is; he’s about the right things and winning and competing,” Horford said on the eve of his 17^th NBA training camp. “I’m really excited about that and developing that relationship and chemistry with him and moving forward with it. He’s somebody that I just would never have imagined to be playing next to. But now that he’s here, I’m excited.”

Tatum has already experienced the honor of teaming up with Holiday. In the Summer of 2021, they both donned red, white, and blue uniforms and claimed a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Now Tatum hopes to share that championship experience with Holiday at the NBA level, a feat that Holiday had already accomplished a few weeks prior to the Olympics when he won a title with the Bucks.

Before Holiday’s arrival, Boston didn’t have a single player with championship experience on its roster. Now, they have a title-winner whose knowledge can be tapped into.

“We certainly can learn a lot from Jrue, being on a team that won a championship and they had to face a lot of adversity,” Tatum said. “I remember Giannis (Antetokounmpo) got hurt in the playoffs and they were down 0-2 in the Finals and came back and won. There is a lot we can learn from Jrue. On the court, the stuff they had to overcome and off the court. I'm looking forward to having him on this team, what he brings as a player and as a person.”

Holiday’s new backcourt mate, White, agreed in that aspect, saying Holiday’s experience can help give the C’s an extra edge.

“Having someone that has been on that stage and has won on that stage, that’s something that you can’t really replace or replicate,” said White. “Having him on our team now is going to be good and he’s going to just help us each and every day. He understands what it takes to get over that hump, and that’s what we keep talking about.”

It’s also nice knowing that the C’s won’t have to face Holiday again, considering how he’s been a nightmare for them on both ends in the past. Brown understands that relief as much as anyone after battling Holiday one-on-one numerous times over the years in Celtics-Bucks showdowns.

“A tremendous amount of respect for Jrue from somebody who he's guarded, and I've had to guard,” raved Brown. “It’s just, he plays with a certain force that you could just feel. He's just, he's a super solid man, and just as a competitor, he's an assassin. So, to be playing alongside him, I think it'll be a tremendous honor.”

With the Holiday season coming early to Boston, it was time to get ready for basketball season.

Now that the roster is pieced together, one can’t help but admire what Stevens has done.

In their starting lineup, the Celtics now have three All-Stars from last season in Brown, Holiday, and Tatum. They have a former All-Star in Porzingis, who’s coming off the best season of his career. Then they can either go small with White, an All-Defensive guard, or they can go big with Horford, the best shooting big in the entire league (he posted the second-highest 3-point percentage across all positions last season).

There is not a better top six in the entire league. It’s really not even close.

Despite adding so much talent, the Celtics still have solid depth to round out the rotation. When the team is at full capacity, they’ll likely have either White or Horford coming off the bench. They’ll have Payton Pritchard as a backup point guard, and we all know how good he can be when given substantial minutes (e.g. his triple-double from last spring’s regular-season finale). They have Sam Hauser, the franchise’s all-time leader in 3-point percentage (min. 100 games played). There’s Svi Mykhailiuk, one of the best open 3-point shooters in the league. There are the athletic, defensive-minded wings, Oshae Brissett and Lamar Stevens, who both started significant games for their respective teams last season. There are a couple of promising youngsters in Dalano Banton and Jordan Walsh. And there’s a quality backup big with an even bigger personality in Luke Kornet.

Then there’s the new-look coaching staff. Mazzulla brought on board Charles Lee from the Bucks, who has been on teams’ head-coaching radars for years. He hired another widely respected voice, assistant coach, and member of the 2008 Celtics championship team in Sam Cassell, who has worked with several NBA stars throughout his second career as an assistant. He also welcomed former Celtic guard Phil Pressey and former Orlando Magic player Amile Jefferson, a Duke alumnus who is also longtime friends with Tatum. And he retained a few highly respected coaches in Tony Dobbins, D.J. MacLeay, and Matt Reynolds.

On top of having the benefit of shaping his own staff, Mazzulla also experienced the luxury of having a full summer to prepare for the season. Such was not the case in his first season after being promoted just two days before the start of the 2022-23 training camp.

“I’m treating this as year one,” Mazzulla said. “I think last year was a cheat code in some ways because we were able to go through it, we were able to be somewhat successful, and we were able to collect a lot of data. And then we were able to use this offseason to really just go back and say, ‘OK, what worked, what didn't, where could we get better, what has to stay the same?’”

Mazzulla loves the changes Stevens has made and sees so much potential flexibility on this roster. He says the team has at least nine players who are capable of starting. Plus, the projected top eight rotation players are all reliable shooters, meaning this team could have some of the most lethal spacing the league has ever seen.

Although it was tough to see some of their old teammates go, the players agree that this is a special group on paper.

“It’s been quite the change,” said Tatum. “A lot of new faces, lot of new coaches. But I think we brought in good guys, great people, great teammates, all talented in their own right … I think just surrounding guys that fit with each other, that complement each other, and all have the same goals in common – to try to win. I think [the front office has] done a really good job of that, and I’m excited about the team that we have.”

Now, it’s time to take that team on paper and create something special with it on the court. The next step is forming an identity to take into the season, and Mazzulla knows exactly the type of mindset and approach he’d like to see out of this group.

“We have to be the toughest, most physical, most open-minded team,” Mazzulla said. “To me, mindset is all about how you interpret something that’s happened and how you respond to it, and each and every situation gives you an opportunity to react a certain way. We have to have a collective approach of toughness, of having that mindset and having togetherness. All the things that every company in the world is trying to adhere to on a daily basis. But at the end of the day, it’s like, ‘What is our daily approach?’ And it doesn’t have to be nice all the time, we don’t have to be friends. I want us to be extremely, extremely competitive, extremely, extremely tough on both ends of the floor, and extremely, extremely connected.”

In order to build such a connection, there have to be respected voices in the locker room. The Celtics just lost a few of those leaders, such as Brogdon, Blake Griffin, Smart and the Williamses; however, there are several others that will step up in that capacity. Horford has always been one of those guys. Holiday has been, too, for his previous teams. Porzingis has an opportunity to step up as a vocal leader, and all eyes are on the Jays to do so as well.

Brown noted, “We’ve got a lot of voices that are no longer with us: Blake, Grant, Smart, all very vocal guys. So I think definitely, you’ll be hearing my voice a little bit more this season, JT’s voice a little bit more this season, making sure we all are on the same page, that we all are focused on the main objectives, et cetera. Sometimes there can be external pressure, through expectations, through playing in Boston, from the media, so helping some of the newer guys and younger guys navigate that. We’ve just got to focus on the work, focus on the day-to-day process, focus on trying to put our best foot forward and trying to be the best team we can possibly be.

“Chemistry-building is going to be important; you can’t just throw some guys out there and expect everything to work. Our habits are going to create our future and our success. We have to build some great habits during training camp. I’m excited about that, and I’m excited about the journey.”

Where they want the journey to take them is obvious. But there’s a long process they have to follow and many steps they must take to reach their end goal.

As the only player on the roster with championship experience, Holiday described the path to Larry O’Brien in blunt terms.

“It’s hard,” he said. “It’s harder than everything you’ve ever done before. You’re going to be tired, exhausted, but it’s about who has the mental toughness, who can play through and make plays, obviously at the end of games in the series, and who’s the most connected. The team that wants it the most will go after it and get it.”

For a team with so much talent, going after it means making sacrifices every day while also being willing to do more. Tatum, coming off an MVP-caliber season in which he became the first player in Celtics history to average over 30 points per game, will lead by example in that aspect.

“We should all feel like we have to do a little more because we didn't win,” said Tatum, with a sour taste lingering in his mouth from the last two postseason finishes. “Whatever we've done has been great, but it hasn't been enough. For myself all down the line, everyone has to sacrifice or be willing to do more, whether it’s going from eight rebounds a game to 11 – whatever it is, we all have to be willing to do more because we haven't accomplished what we are trying to do. I'm looking forward to doing more and so should everybody else.”

Porzingis agrees that there is a “big responsibility” for a team with such high expectations. For them, there should be no days off until their goal is accomplished.

“We have to live that lifestyle,” Porzingis said. “We have to live that life day to day. We have to put in the work and at the end, if we put in the work, we'll achieve the results. There has to be a daily focus and keeping that big goal in our minds."

Now that the Celtics have assembled their version of the Avengers, it’s time for them to hit the battlefield. Each of this season’s upcoming battles will get them one step closer to their endgame.