Wild Celtics idea: Sub out Joe Mazzulla for Brad Stevens during playoffs

The Boston Celtics could maximize their championship potential with an unconventional coaching strategy.

That strategy would go as follows: let Brad Stevens take the helm during the playoffs while Joe Mazzulla manages the regular season. This bold approach leverages the strengths of both coaches, addressing Boston’s postseason inconsistencies while maintaining regular-season dominance.

Joe Mazzulla, the current head coach, has proven adept at guiding the Celtics through the 82-game grind. His innovative offensive schemes and emphasis on three-point shooting have kept Boston atop the Eastern Conference standings, as evidenced by their 64-win 2023-24 season and 61-win 2024-25 campaign. 

Mazzulla’s data-driven approach and ability to manage egos in a star-studded lineup—featuring Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, and others—make him ideal for the long haul of the regular season.

However, Mazzulla’s playoff performance has drawn scrutiny. Critics point to questionable in-game adjustments and rotation decisions, such as in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, where Boston faltered against Miami, and more recently, Wednesday's second-round Game 2 versus the New York Knicks. 

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Enter Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations and former head coach. Stevens, who coached Boston from 2013 to 2021, was renowned for his playoff acumen, leading the team to three Eastern Conference Finals despite roster limitations. His ability to devise matchup-specific game plans and make real-time adjustments could make Boston an unstoppable freight train in the postseason.

This split-coaching model isn’t unprecedented—think of NFL teams with offensive and defensive coordinators sharing responsibilities. Stevens could step in for the high-stakes playoff environment, leveraging his experience to outmaneuver opponents, while Mazzulla’s regular-season stewardship ensures a top seed.

It might seem like a weird time to propose such a plan, and if Mazzulla leads the Celtics to another championship in June, he more than deserves the opportunity to go for a three-peat in 2026.

But something about Mazzulla’s game management in the playoffs has always felt lacking, even when Boston won a title last season.

The Celtics are a franchise that has never been afraid to blaze new paths in the NBA. Perhaps the next step in that vein will be to introduce the two-head-coach format described above.

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