2022-2023 Boston Celtics​—Now or Never

BY ERIC ZHAO '25

Note: this analysis was written before the Celtics’ playoff elimination through losing Game 7 vs the Miami Heat. Edits have since been made to reflect the failure to win the championship. 

​As the clock wound down in the final seconds of Game 6 in the 2022 NBA Finals and the  Warriors started to celebrate their third title in six years, I felt mixed emotions: disappointment, brief depression, and then acceptance. Although the Celtics had exceeded expectations throughout this season, I couldn't help but feel that they lost a major chance in the series. Up 2 games to 1, the Celtics (the C’s) had the upper hand. Two wins away from basketball immortality, banner 18 was almost ours. Until it wasn't. Up 94-90 with 5 minutes remaining in Game 4, the Celtics had a chance to secure a nearly insurmountable 3-1 lead. However, they only scored 3 points in the final 5 minutes of the game and allowed the Warriors back into the series. After that, the Celtics never recovered. That singular moment may have been their only chance at a title and at defining their career. The path to this moment was treacherous, and it involved two Game 7s. One different game, even one different shot, and the C’s wouldn't have been there. The playoffs are no gimmie, and the failures of the C’s in three Eastern Conference Finals in 2017, 2018, and 2020 proved that. They finally got their chance after years of failure and broke through only to falter.
Just for another opportunity to win a title in the 2022-2023 season, they will have had to go through the gauntlet that is the playoffs again. In 2013, after the trade of their championship superstars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics retooled and rebuilt their roster. With great managerial moves, the Celtics were able to build a young talented lineup spearheaded by Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum. Additionally, the hiring of coach Ime Udoka for the 2021-2022 season and recruiting veterans Al Horford and Derrick White made winning an attainable goal. They established a team identity behind a league-best defense and won 31 of their final 41 games; ultimately, they lost six games to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The offense was visibly flat during the series, partly due to poor playing by Jayson Tatum. The C’s needed to win it all this season, lest they suffer the same fate as many other teams with championship talent that fell into disarray and defeat through aging players, free agency, and broken chemistry.

After their offense’s lackluster performance in the NBA Finals was exposed by the Warriors, the Celtics obtained playmaking point guard Malcolm Brogdon just 15 days after their season ended. With the threat of his shot-making, Brogdon could potentially create more opportunities for Tatum and Brown to score. Furthermore, with Brogdon hailed as the “missing piece,” many viewed the Celtics as having the best roster in the NBA; early in the season, it seemed likely they could win it all. However, Ime Udoka was suspended in the championships due to workplace misconduct allegations, putting a wrench into the season before it even started. Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla was promoted to serve as interim head coach for the season and got hired as permanent head coach on February 16. The Celtics got off to a league-best 21-5 start with a historically great offense, but cracks began to show after that. In the games they lost, the offense struggled to hit three-pointers consistently, and they served empty possessions with no points. The offense takes too many contested isolation three-pointers and not enough mid-range two-pointers or layups inside the paint, leading to empty possessions. 48% of shots this season are three-pointers, and this is problematic when the shots aren’t landing. Jayson Tatum has also been inconsistent too often; although some consider him a top five player in the NBA, he is unable to find a rhythm and shoots poorly (especially with his three-pointers). The Celtics also have lost multiple games with initial double-digit leads, including a 28-point lead against the Nets. Additionally, the Celtics have trouble closing out games: relaxing too much and not playing strategically. They don’t capitalize on final possessions although these games are winnable. And while Joe Mazzulla has potential to be a great coach in the NBA, his inexperience causes questionable coaching decisions; he doesn’t call enough timeouts, and he draws up the final play multiple times on a final possession. 

With a better roster, the Celtics were under pressure to replicate previous year's success in the playoffs and this time win it all. Team fractures and other contenders like the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers stood in their path. The Bucks have star player Giannis and hold the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. With a healthy lineup and good coaching, they can beat any team in the NBA. The 76ers are red-hot and have a virtually unstoppable player in Joel Embiid, as well as a dynamic playmaker in James Harden. However, the Bucks defense is in question when it comes to defending Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Additionally, the 76ers have inconsistent play and a very one-sided “rivalry”, favoring Boston. With veterans aging, the Celtics championship window will only be open around 3-5 years, and championship windows only come around every 10 seasons at best. Jaylen Brown may leave the Celtics in the future, because he has made comments regarding being unhappy in Boston. The Celtics had to win it all, now or never. They’ve gotten close and have fallen short time and time again. Their loss created a massive disappointment to the fans, being unable to get the job done with all that talent on the team. The Celtics’ faithful fans are restless without a title since 2008. They are losing optimism, and anger is rising from within towards upper management. Without a title in the championship window, upper management destroys the team's core, the championship window closes, and the team becomes dysfunctional once again. And all we remember is an amazing team that could never reach the promised land.