The Boston Celtics are back after the All-Star break, leaving just 23 more games until the end of the 2022-23 regular season.
Ahead of this final stretch, the Cs sit atop the Eastern Conference at 42-17, with the surging Milwaukee Bucks just a half game behind them. With almost three-quarters of the regular season in the books, the Celtics will look to finish strong and hopefully enter the 2023 NBA playoffs on a high note.
As the de facto second half of the season dawns, here are three bold Celtics predictions for the remainder of 2022-23.
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3. Celtics president Brad Stevens will win Executive of the Year
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was a great coach for Boston, but he might be even better in the front office.
The mastermind 🏀 #BradStevens #Celtics #Basketball pic.twitter.com/rMO6GUgg8x
— SHOWTIME Basketball (@shobasketball) January 31, 2023
With the Celtics in first, a lot of credit has to go to the man who helped assemble the current roster.
Stevens was able to snag potential Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon for basically nothing in the offseason. That move was praised highly by other league executives and should still be talked about more, as the former Indiana Pacer is averaging 14.7 points in just 25 minutes per game.
Plus, Stevens got Mike Muscala from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Justin Jackson and a few second-round picks. It's not a league-shifting trade, but Muscala has instantly contributed since his arrival.
Lastly, Stevens trusted Mazzulla to lead the Cs, and that critical decision has paid off so far. With all these masterful moves in mind, Stevens should be treated as a top executive in the NBA.
2. Joe Mazzulla will win Coach of the Year
This offseason was as close to a total disaster as you can get for a team that was fresh off an NBA Finals appearance.
Former head coach Ime Udoka was suspended in disgrace just a few weeks before the start of the season, leaving the Celtics reeling from the scandal. Players were confused and angry and fans had little idea of what was going on, resulting in further shock when 34-year-old Joe Mazzulla was named the interim coach.
Fast forward to now and the Celtics are first in the Eastern Conference and playing much better ball than they were just a year ago. While the Cs have a talented roster and a dynamic All-Star duo, Mazzulla has done a great job at keeping things together.
The young coach did not shy away from this big opportunity to lead one of the most historic franchises in the NBA, and for his efforts, he was extended and promoted to full-time head coach.
Joe Mazzulla is officially the 19th Head Coach in franchise history 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/LMcTLS1u0m
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 16, 2023
Even though Mazzulla inherited a contender with the Celtics, he's worthy of Coach of the Year consideration due to the chaos caused by Udoka's unexpected departure. He drowned out all the noise and got the Celtics back to playing winning basketball.
The Rhode Island native has a strong case for the award, yet Mike Brown of the Sacramento Kings could be a potential winner as well. If he can guide the Kings to their first playoff appearance in 17 seasons and nab a top-three seed in the Western Conference, he might overtake Mazzulla.
Regardless, the former assistant coach has done an excellent job so far as head coach. Now Mazzulla just needs to finish strong.
1. Jayson Tatum will score the most total points in the NBA this season
The freshly anointed All-Star Game MVP has been on a tear this year, and a scoring title might be in his future.
While the normal scoring title is calculated by points per game, Tatum has scores the most total points in the league this season. Currently, he's scored a whopping 1,685 points in 55 games played, which is 19 more than current silver medal holder Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
The race is tight, but Tatum's durability makes him a great frontrunner for this year's total points leader. He's averaging 30.6 points per outing and has missed just four games in the regular season, always appearing eager to play even in basketball's current era of load management.
The only other potential threats who have played more than Tatum are Minnesota Timberwolves phenom Anthony Edwards and New York Knicks big Julius Randle. Although these players were 2023 All-Stars, they're averaging fewer points than Tatum and aren't quite on his level as all-around scorers.
If Tatum can keep up his offensive game, there's no reason why he shouldn't capture the scoring title of old—as the league's scoring champion used to be calculated by total points until the late 1960s.
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