Brad Stevens Explains Celtics' Season-Altering Jayson Tatum Decision originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Last May, Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon against the New York Knicks during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Less than 10 months later, he was miraculously back on the court and playing at a high level, way ahead of schedule.

The Celtics could have played it safe with Tatum and shut him down for the season. He worked hard to come back early, however, and the front office supported him every step of the way, ultimately activating him on March 6.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Boston's president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, explained the organization's bold and somewhat risky decision to bring Tatum back early.

"I just think what we said was always the case. Until he was 110 percent and met every threshold, had fully reconditioned and he felt good, we weren't even gonna entertain the thought of him coming back," Stevens told CLNS reporter Bobby Manning.

Asked Brad about the process of bringing Tatum back: “It became clear probably around the trade deadline, that early February time that he was in a pretty good spot physically … then it’s a matter of re-conditioning and getting your confidence back.” pic.twitter.com/e6j2AiBZtg

— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) April 8, 2026

"It became clear probably around the trade deadline, that early February time, that he was in a pretty good spot physically from the standpoint of the strength, then it’s just a matter of re-conditioning and getting your confidence back in a lot of ways and playing and being back on the court," Stevens continued.

Stevens also said he became encouraged by Tatum's optimism and impressive progress as his return date approached.

"You could see that not only was he gonna come along pretty quickly, but you could also see that he was getting more eager to play," Stevens added. "It was a really well-thought-out process...and followed to strictly by Jayson. And everybody involved with that gets a lot of credit... It was pretty incredible to watch up close."

While he was understandably a bit rusty at first, Tatum is already starting to look like himself again just one month after coming back. With six straight 20-point games under his belt, he's looking more comfortable and confident with the playoffs approaching next week.

If Tatum and the Celtics make a deep run or end up winning the title, it will be because they refused to throw in the towel this season and did everything they could to get him back on the court.

More NBA: Jaylen Brown Praises Potential Playoff Opponent With Flattering Comparison

Earning consistent playing time under Joe Mazzulla is not easy. In his first few seasons as head coach of the Boston Celtics, he maintained strict rotations. Especially for playoff rotations, he largely stuck with eight-man groups.

However, following several departures from the 2024 championship core, opportunities for minutes have become more plentiful. But even when a player earns those chances, it does not guarantee a permanent spot in the rotation. Mazzulla remains unforgiving toward prominent mental errors and lapses in effort. On the other hand, he is more willing to give players opportunities to prove themselves.

This tactic remains prevalent even in the final week of the regular season. The latest player to benefit from this is Jordan Walsh. 

After logging zero minutes across six straight games in March, Walsh is back in the mix. He is averaging 20.0 minutes per game over Boston’s last seven contests. Against the red-hot Charlotte Hornets on April 7, he made his biggest impact of that stretch yet.

Walsh’s never-ending motor and defensive intensity embody Boston’s hyper-competitive team culture. He and the rest of the ‘stay ready squad’ are why the Celtics are as dangerous as ever.

Impact Against Charlotte

The Hornets, a surging team since January, arrived at TD Garden under the bright lights of national television. LaMelo Ball rose to the occasion early, hitting circus shot after circus shot on his way to 34 points in the game’s first 28.5 minutes.

Despite looking unguardable for much of the night, Ball’s showcase came to a screeching halt in the third quarter — when Walsh checked in.

“Some big minutes right here from Jordan Walsh,” said NBC Sports Boston analyst Brian Scalabrine, as Walsh entered at the 7:31 mark. “He’s in there with one assignment: stop LaMelo Ball.”

And that he did. Ball did not make another field goal for the remainder of the game.

On his second defensive possession after checking back in, Walsh fought through two screens, stripped Ball, and ignited a fastbreak that resulted in a Jaylen Brown layup.

Walsh’s defense, along with timely scoring — including a go-ahead basket for Boston’s first lead of the second half — was key in turning the tide. His efforts contributed to a 13-3 Boston run, giving the Celtics the lead entering the fourth quarter

Although Walsh didn’t play in the fourth, Mazzulla still credited him with shifting the energy to spark the comeback.

“I thought he started that for us,” Mazzulla said. “He understands that when he’s at his best defensively is impacting the other team’s best players — creating turnovers, making things difficult. I thought he did a good job of that.”

The Value of Staying Ready

Later in his postgame press conference, Mazzulla explained how Walsh is an example of the team’s overarching mindset when navigating playing-time fluctuation.

“I think the story of our season is we got 14, 15 guys who can impact winning,” Mazzulla said. “When it’s not your turn, what’s your mindset, and what’s your consistency? Are you still chipping away at the workouts? How serious are you taking film?… It starts with Jordan’s mindset. If you’re not playing, how are you getting better? He continues to do that and I think that’s why he can pick up where he left off.”

Jaylen Brown echoed Mazzulla’s urge for players to stay locked in and believe in the process.

“I think he’s still continuing to get better,” Brown said. “He’s got to continue to have the right mindset and right approach, and have faith that everything will work itself out.”

The buy-in across the roster has allowed several Celtics — many of whom have minimal NBA experience in prominent roles — to contribute meaningfully to another 54-plus win season. Boston has 14 different players who’ve logged over 250 minutes this season — the most of any season under Mazzulla.

Ready for the Playoffs?

Boston’s newfound depth gives them lineup versatility unlike any recent iteration of the Celtics.

Walsh is having a career season and should have the necessary experience to be ready for a postseason test. Brown, who Walsh referred to as his top mentor, believes in him to make an impact if needed.

“Jordan has the ability to change games,” Brown added in his post-Charlotte presser. “His athleticism has the ability to change games. That’s something that in the playoffs or in the future, certain matchups we’ll definitely need. Just continuing to urge him to have discipline, make the right plays out there, and bring energy to our group.”

Predicting the postseason rotation is a tough task given how the regular season played out. But whether it’s Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza, or anyone else from the bench unit who has given good minutes this season, Joe Mazzulla is equipped with more tools at his disposal than ever before.

The post Jordan Walsh Embodies Celtics’ ‘Stay Ready’ Mindset appeared first on The Lead.

Does Cooper Flagg Have Higher Ceiling Than Jayson Tatum? originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Cooper Flagg is just a 19-year-old rookie, but he's already one of the best players in basketball. Entering play on Tuesday, the Dallas Mavericks star is averaging 21.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

It's been a historically good first season for Flagg, who's making a strong case for NBA Rookie of the Year after spending just one season at Duke. The Maine native immediately established himself as one of the faces of the league and looks poised to be a superstar for a long time.

On Tuesday, Colin Cowherd and Nick Wright compared Flagg to Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who also spent just one year with Duke before launching his NBA career.

"I would argue today, I would choose him over Jayson Tatum if I had to make a choice on the two," Cowherd said. "Over the course of a series, Tatum would probably be more consistent... I think Cooper Flagg has a chance to be, outside of Wemby, the best player in the league. I think he's that good."

While Cowherd is taking Flagg over Tatum, Wright thinks that's a bit premature and defended Tatum.

"I do think he is a future superstar... I DO NOT think he is going to be better than Jayson Tatum at any point in the next 3 seasons."@colincowherd and @getnickwright debate if Cooper Flagg is a better player than Jayson Tatum pic.twitter.com/gW3THRD6sd

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 7, 2026

"I do think he is a future superstar... I do not agree with you. I do not think he is going to be better than Jayson Tatum at any point in the next, call it, three seasons," Wright countered. "If we're saying Jayson Tatum at full strength next season, walks into next season one of the seven best players in the sport, Cooper Flagg, in my opinion, does not approach that until probably Year 4."

With the Mavericks tanking this season, Wright said he still needs to see Flagg prove he can lead a winning team and flourish under real pressure like Tatum, an NBA champion, has done.

That said, Wright acknowledged that Flagg has a higher ceiling than Tatum and could be better than him someday.

"Is Cooper Flagg's ceiling higher than Tatum's ceiling, then probably. I don't think Tatum's ever gonna win league MVP, and I think Cooper could," Wright added. "But I don't think anytime soon Cooper Flagg's going to be a consensus top eight player in the league, and I think Tatum, when he's fully recovered from his Achilles, he will be."

While Flagg is on his way to becoming an MVP-caliber player like Tatum, he's not there yet. Many NBA players don't reach their peak until their mid-to-late 20s, so it may take him a few years to reach Tatum's level. 

And who knows? Maybe they'll even be teammates someday.

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Celtics’ Brad Stevens Addresses Rumors Tying Him to College Coaching Openings originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Many people brought up Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens as a candidate for the North Carolina head coaching job last month. Still, he quickly denied any interest in the position and said he has no desire to leave his job.

"I'm not motivated to do anything but what I'm doing is the bottom line," Stevens said on Tuesday, via 98.5 The Sports Hub. "And I'm really happy with the people we're around and everything else."

Many people believed that Stevens could have been interested in the North Carolina head coaching position, given that he served as Butler's head coach in the mid-2000s, leading the program to back-to-back national championship appearances.

After leaving Butler, Stevens became head coach of the Celtics in 2013, serving until 2021 before stepping into his new front-office position.

If Stevens were aiming to return to a head coaching position, moving to North Carolina would have been an excellent choice, as it's one of the top programs in college basketball. However, it seems he isn't seriously interested in returning to coaching.

North Carolina has indeed taken the NBA route in selecting its new head coach, hiring former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone on Tuesday.

More NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo Praises Joe Mazzulla, Criticizes Bucks, Doc Rivers Amid Trade Rumors

Giannis Antetokounmpo Praises Joe Mazzulla, Criticizes Bucks, Doc Rivers Amid Trade Rumors originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Celtics would be one of the last teams linked to Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the two-time MVP's rampant trade rumors, but "The Greek Freak" recently made some interesting comments comparing his current team to Joe Mazzulla's group.

"Everything about my decision is based on winning; culture," Antetokounmpo told Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "Like you saw I talked with coach Joe Mazzulla. I said, 'You had so many opportunities to make excuses, but you didn’t.' (The Celtics started the season slow.) And he said, 'Oh, they’re good players.' I said, no. It’s about the mentality that you instilled in your place."

Though Antetokounmpo has put up strong numbers this season again, it's been one of the more frustrating campaigns since he was selected by the Bucks in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft.

The 31-year-old has been limited to a career-low 36 games this season and Milwaukee enters play Tuesday at 31-47.

Bucks head coach (and former Celtics leader) Doc Rivers has been rumored to be on the hot seat as well.

Antetokounmpo compared Mazzulla to Greek coach Vassilis Spanoulis during his interview with Nickel.

"Vassilis Spanoulis -- the same thing," the 10-time All-Star told Nickel. "That why I love Spanoulis. It’s about the mentality that he’s instilled in the (Greek) national team, that we are here to give everything that we have. We are here to bond together. We are here to figure out ways to win. No excuses. Move as a group and you move as a unit. So, I love that."

Antetokounmpo also seemed to criticize Rivers' leadership.

"I won’t say that our team right now is not like that, but -- maybe I might be wrong, but I don’t think I am; I have the most years out of everybody in that locker room -- I think that some people know how to win; some people don’t. It’s not because they don’t want to, it’s just because they’ve never been in that stage before," he said. "As long as it’s great organized basketball and a team that’s willing to play selfless basketball, and chase some goal that’s bigger than themselves, I’ll be here. Do you see that with the Bucks? You’ve been around, what 10 years? You tell me what you see."

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Cleveland Radio Hosts Blast Cavs As 'Scared' Of Celtics Before Playoffs originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The NBA playoffs are just around the corner, starting in less than two weeks, and the Eastern Conference seeding is still up for grabs. It seems likely that the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics will secure the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, but the race for the No. 3 and No. 4 spots is tight.

As of Monday, the Knicks hold the No. 3 seed with a 50-28 record, just ahead of the Cavaliers, who are at No. 4 with a 49-29 record. There's speculation that Cleveland may be looking to avoid the No. 3 spot to stay clear of facing the Celtics in the second round. Boston is locked into the No. 2 seed at the moment, and according to ESPN’s Cleveland radio host Aaron Goldhammer, the Cavs seem “scared” to take on the Celtics.

"They (Cavs) don't want to play Boston in the second round because they are scared," Goldhammer said Monday on "The Really Big Show".

There's a lot of speculation that the Cavaliers are afraid to face the Celtics, especially after resting five key players in their win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

The Celtics certainly appear to be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. The last matchup between the two teams took place in Cleveland on March 8, which was Jayson Tatum's second game back, and Boston secured a 109-98 victory.

Cleveland hasn't beaten the Celtics this season, holding an 0-3 record against them. It seems the Cavs face a matchup issue against Boston, and avoiding the Celtics until the Eastern Conference Finals might be the best tactic for Cleveland.

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