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BOSTON — In today's NBA, it's such a struggle to get stars to take the court consistently that league commissioner Adam Silver instituted a Player Participation Policy last year, punishing teams for load managing. That rule never impacted the Boston Celtics, and they showed why on Monday night during a 108-89 win over the rival Miami Heat.
Prior to the double-digit victory, Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were both questionable to play. Monday seemed like the perfect opportunity for them to rest, as the Celtics were on the second leg of a back-to-back and faced an undermanned Heat squad without six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler. Yet, Tatum and Brown both opted to play despite having three games in the next five days.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla commended his guys for their durability, which has been somewhat of a secret weapon for the Green Team.
“All of our guys love to play. So if they don't, it's because they really can't,” he told the media during his pregame press conference. “You take pride in the fact that the guys love to and when they don't, you understand it.”
Tatum has played in all 21 games this season for the Celtics. Brown, who suffered a hip injury in early November and was still recovering from an illness on Monday, has been on the floor for 16 games. The dynamic duo's willingness to play even when it's tough (on nights when many other stars wouldn't) sets the Celtics apart from other load-managing teams.
“You walk into the arena and know you have a chance to win every night because your best players want to play,” Mazzulla stated. “And when they can't play they take care of themselves. All the guys do a great job of that.”
How durable have Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics been?
In the last three regular seasons, Tatum has missed just 22 games. And during the Celtics' victorious 2023-24 campaign, Brown started a career-high 70 games. This heavy workload didn't prevent them from participating in all 19 of Boston's postseason outings en route to a 2024 NBA title.
The Celtics' marquee players aren't the only ones who are reliable and durable. Over the last three years, Celtics guard Derrick White has played 230 games. That's the 13th-most of any player in that span, revealing just how much Boston's core members love to play. White was initially questionable with a foot injury, however, he still joined the starting lineup against the Heat, dropping 21 points, eight assists, and four rebounds in 31 minutes.
“The guys take pride in playing,” Mazzulla reiterated following the win. “And you want to reward guys for taking pride in playing. It's not going to look pretty every single night, but I think it's more about just the preparation and the things that go into making sure those guys are ready to play, whether it's a back-to-back or not.”
Although the C's handled the Heat with relative ease, Tatum and Brown weren't as stellar as usual from the field. They combined for 47 points but only made 15 of their 42 shot attempts while claiming eight of Boston's 14 turnovers.
Mazzulla thought Tatum and Brown's ability to be available for nearly every game was more valuable than an incredible performance.
“It sets a tone for the guys. It sets a tone for the locker room,” Mazzulla said of their frequent availability. “It sets a tone that you're willing to work through stuff to play. So, I'd rather them be out there and it not look crisp than not be out there.”
Of course, Mazzulla wouldn't want his go-to guys to risk injury in the regular season. He trusts their judgment and the medical staff's input when they're deciding whether or not they should play.
“It's a journey. It's a long season, and we are human beings. Guys get sick, don't feel well, you know, stuff can be going on,” Brown said. “Whatever the case is, I try to always be there as a leader of our group to make myself available. And tonight, trying to miss as little as games as possible is important for our group and general health. I think even when you're not feeling well, just show that you're still available. I think that kind of sets a tone for your team to have the same type of mindset.”
Having a healthy, committed mindset was key for the Celtics last season. It's one of the many reasons why they accomplished their ultimate goal of capturing banner no. 18. In addition, it speaks to how Brown and company treat the regular season with respect—something that's becoming much more rare in the modern NBA.
“These games matter, even though we're in December and we want to play into late June, these games matter,” Brown emphasized. “So, I just had to push through [to play tonight].”
Boston will need to toughen up for another back-to-back slate in early December, as it hosts the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday and then the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. Before those tough matchups, the Celtics will welcome the Detroit Pistons to TD Garden on Wednesday.
“Back-to-backs are tough to get your body, your mind, everything ready,” Brown admitted. “But as you are looking to do something special, those are the moments you gotta accept. It's hard for teams to be great if some of their best players never play back-to-backs.”
In recent years, there's been no need for a Player Participation Policy in Beantown. Even if there's a back-to-back or an untimely illness, the Celtics' best players want to be out there whenever possible. Rostering players who love the game of basketball and treat it as more than a job doesn't seem like a superpower, yet in the current NBA, it arguably is.
