[Forsberg] Is a rotation tweak helping Celtics starters regain their mojo?
I think the sub pattern is interesting.
It has kind of felt that some of our struggles were Joe intentionally trying something to see if it worked and sticking with it even if it wasn’t working in order to give it more reps to iron itself out.
Returning to the patterns that worked last year make a lot of sense, but this team should be good enough to work with whatever sub patterns Joe decides.
I just think that our starters have got the reps in and have re-figured out how to play together.
Subbing Tatum out at the 6 minute mark shouldn’t change how well the starters played together in those first 6 minutes.
I think this is something that’s getting lost on a lot of our fans rn. to me it’s evident that Joe has not necessarily been making the decisions that will win us individual games, he’s been making decisions to put guys in spots they haven’t been in before to make them better
quick example right off top, playing Queta in OT against Atlanta over Kornet. everyone could see Kornet was our best big man in that game and we probably could have won if he closed over Queta, but Neemy will benefit greatly from the experience of playing in a high-stakes moment like that
the increase in how much we’re running our offense through Brown as the primary handler this year despite that obviously not being his natural role and even with Tatum on the floor is another glaring example of this, and it’s been to Brown’s benefit as he’s having his best playmaking season
we all know what works for this team, after all they won a championship last year. the goal of the regular season for a champion is to figure out what plays we can add to our toolbox for the playoffs, gauge what additional responsibilities we can put on certain guys, and experiment with rotations to see what works and what doesn’t
makes for some rough patches and frustrating basketball bc it’s hard for guys to catch a rhythm when their roles and minutes aren’t consistent. but even this manufactured adversity is good. you have to approach the game with humility, and this stretch has hopefully been a reminder that they aren’t unbeatable, even if they seemed that way last season and to begin this season
this philosophy was also way more supported last year, imo, because it was begetting more wins. but that’s not how a willingness to experiment works: you gotta be down to ride out the slumps and trust they’re in service of making for a better team down the line
Great way to put it!
From Chris Forsberg:
“For much of the 2024-25 season, the Boston Celtics’ preferred starting five has struggled to find its championship swagger in the limited instances that the unit is fully healthy.
“But a recent shift back to a more familiar sub pattern might be aiding the starters in finding that missing mojo.
“After flirting with giving Jayson Tatum an extended first-quarter run during the first half of the season, head coach Joe Mazzulla recently has reverted to subbing Tatum out midway through the first quarter.
“In a teeny-tiny two-game sample, the starter numbers have had a not-so-minuscule spike.”
Read more here.
Our substitution patterns are weird coz Joe and his staff are chasing data on a bunch of various line-ups that may have to be used come play off time, it’s better to be prepared for the occasion than not especially a key rotation player goes down injured at an unfortunate time
Looked good last night, that’s for sure.
I’m pretty sure we are in a slump and when we leave it, we will start winning by 30 again regularly. Super not worries until there are actual injuries.
It makes sense - Jaylen was always great at hearing up quick and carrying us in the 1st quarter and Tatum can heat up at any time and then close for us.
I don’t mind Joe Mazz not resting on his laurels and testing some things out tho
I’m just happy that people aren’t using stuff like this to “prove their point” about how Joes actually an idiot who sucks at coaching like they did pre-championship.