Having been beaten in their season series, 1-2, by their first round foes, the defending champions will be wary of any upsets early on, even if on paper it’s a 2-seed vs 7-seed matchup.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla, having led the team to the title just last year, is insistent on focusing on all the right things that will help them get to where they need to go. As the long journey to the Larry O’Brien trophy begins, it’s going to be all about clinging to what they know best.
“I think it’s very easy in a playoff setting to focus on, quote unquote, the adjustment. But what goes into winning a preseason game, a regular season game, a playoff game is the same, and you have to be able to do those; those intangibles and those things that impact winning," Mazzulla told media in an online press conference earlier this week.
“But then again, every series takes on a life of its own. So every series will call for small tweaks, small things that you have to do. But depending upon the matchup, and depending upon the versatility and the identity of the other team, and so I think it’s just finding that balance. You know, you can’t be blinded by the details and the fundamentals," he added.
Against Orlando, it’ll be about their three-pointers — ending the regular season with the most makes from beyond the arc, with their total even being a single-season league record at 1,457 threes in the span of 82 games.
Despite their love for the three-pointer, it hasn’t been as effective against the Magic, as Orlando limited Boston to 15-of-73 from beyond the arc in the two games that the Celtics lost.
Meaning, if they wish to get this series over and done with quickly, the Boston Celtics must be able to adjust to Orlando’s perimeter defense.
Rather than be daunted, though, the defending champions are eager to play the part that they need to — at least, as far as Mazzulla is concerned.
Understanding the competitiveness of the field even as the reigning world champions, Boston will not be amiss in expecting the tough road en route to the next round, much more to that of the Eastern Conference Finals, and then the NBA Finals.“I mean, every year presents different kinds of challenges, no matter whether you've come off or win or you've come off of a loss. And so I think it's more focusing on each season presents different challenges," said the American coach.
“Each team goes through different phases, each team develops new identities as the season goes on. And you know, you can't anticipate the challenges that are ahead. All you can anticipate is how you handle them.”
Seeing his team throughout the whole year, there is no doubt in Mazzulla’s mind on how well they can seize the narrative on things that they can control, even if it’s on a stage as big as the playoffs.
“You know, I think this year's team's done a great job of handling, you know, just the the challenges of this particular season and developing different identities and knowing that the playoffs will present more challenges and more opportunities to get better," he said.
