This summer was a big one for the NBA, as several teams found themselves being reshaped by major moves. Arguably no team in the league offered fans and analysts a bigger surprise with their offseason decisions than the Boston Celtics, trading one of the best two-way players in the league, Jaylen Brown, for the explosive vet, Paul George.
The shocking trade was only compounded as other teams in the East, on paper, got remarkably more competitive with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay going to Miami, Tyrese Haliburton returning to action in Indiana, and the 76ers also acquiring LeBron James to make a juggernaut team in Philadelphia. Not to mention, the Knicks are still the reigning NBA champions.
With all that being said, I was fortunate enough to pose a few questions discussing all of this to Boston Celtics legend, Cedric Maxwell, via Casino.org. Just to remind people, Maxwell played eight years in Boston, from 1977 to 1985, and helped win the franchise two championships, even being named Finals MVP in 1981 in the team’s win over Moses Malone’s Houston Rockets. During his time with the Celtics, Maxwell played alongside Hall of Famers like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish.
Following his storied on-court career, Maxwell briefly turned his attention to coaching the Long Island Surf of the United States Basketball League, before diving into the world of commenting/broadcasting. He’s been serving as a color commentator for the Celtics since 2001.
Needless to say, Maxwell’s resume bleeds Celtics green, making him uniquely qualified to serve as an expert. As such, I asked for his thoughts on the strength of the squad’s roster, its chances of winning in potential Eastern Conference Finals matchups against the top teams in the East, the importance of Celtics’ coach Joe Mazzulla, and the real question NBA fans should be asking when it comes to the 76ers.
“Joe Mazzulla Is One of the Best Coaches in the NBA”
Men’s Journal: Looking at the Eastern Conference as a whole, there have been a lot of shake-ups this offseason. As it stands, do the Celtics have a roster that could contend in a seven-game series in an Eastern Conference Final against teams like the Knicks, the 76ers, or the Heat?
Maxwell: Yeah, I think they do. The other thing we haven’t talked about is Joe Mazzulla. I think Joe Mazzulla is one of the best coaches in the NBA. He’s going to have these guys playing hard. I think the regular season is going to show the league something because the Celtics are always going to play hard. You’re going to win more games because you outplay the other team; you will yourself to win games.
At the same time, look at where this team will be going into the playoffs. How strong will they be? How will all those bench players, guys like [Baylor] Scheierman coming off the bench, play? My broadcast partner likes to use the word ‘ancillary.’ What those ancillary players, those second-tier guys, do is going to matter. Are they going to rebound? Are they going to get steals? Are they going to facilitate and block shots? That’s going to determine how far the Celtics go.
When you look at the 76ers roster, you’re talking about Hall of Famers or guys who are going to be. This is lights-out on paper. The 76ers are one of the strongest teams around. You add LeBron James with his basketball IQ, but can they play together? That’s going to be the big thing. I know this other team will play together. I think that’s a big difference.
Biggest Threat to Boston in the East Is…
Men’s Journal: Of the three teams already mentioned, the Knicks, the Heat, and the 76ers, which one would you least want Boston to face?
Maxwell: The least? That’s a good question. I hadn’t thought about that. I don’t know. Nobody has ever asked me that. As a basketball player, I’ve never been asked, “Who do you not want to play?” It’s always, “Who do you want?” But who do you not want to play?
The Knicks are obviously the world champions, so they present some problems, but I like the fact that the Celtics were able to measure up against them. The 76ers give you their own set of problems. With the Heat, you have Erik Spoelstra and Joe Mazzulla head-to-head as coaches.
I don’t know. You’ve stumped me. This is one time I’ve been stumped. I don’t know which one you want to play the least.
Men’s Journal: Back to the Celtics and this season. What do you think is going to be their biggest challenge as a team?
Maxwell: I think continuity, bringing these guys together. They had a really good training camp. They went down to Charleston, South Carolina. Joe Mazzulla took them away from everything, down to the Citadel, a military academy. I think that’s where they trained. The camaraderie and being cohesive are things that have to come into play almost immediately when you think about where this team can go.
Don’t Forget about Mike Conley
Men’s Journal: I know it’s very early, but do you have any midseason trade predictions for the Celtics? Where can they strengthen?
Maxwell: I don’t know. You have to see who falls out and who is going to get a buyout. That’s what you start to look at. Where the Celtics are and what their weakest point is. I think it could be scoring sometimes. This is a three-point shooting team, but you can always use another scorer.
One thing we haven’t talked about yet is Mike Conley. With Mike Conley, a veteran coming in with 20 years as a point guard, does that give you more stability at the position? That’s another thing that has to happen. Somebody has to step up when [Derrick] White isn’t there or [Jayson] Tatum isn’t there. Somebody else has to facilitate for the guys on the floor. Mike Conley could do that because he’s been around for 20 years.
Be sure to catch NBA games across Prime Video, NBC, Peacock, ESPN, ABC, NBA TV, and local stations when applicable.
Related: The Surprising Snack LeBron James Eats “Every Single Day,” According to Savannah
