Tired of Celtics' Playoff Inconsistency, Wyc Grousbeck Decided 'We're Not Running It Back'

The Celtics' reshaped roster core, maturation, and willingness to sacrifice have them comfortably atop the NBA standings.

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The Boston Celtics engineered the most impressive in-season turnaround in NBA history in 2022, going from 11th in the Eastern Conference in mid-January, on the outside looking in at the play-in tournament, to coming within two wins of Banner 18.

In a disappointing encore last postseason, they blew Game 5 to the Atlanta Hawks on their home floor despite the absence of Dejounte Murray. After advancing, they dropped their series opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on the TD Garden parquet while Joel Embiid watched from the sideline.

They dug themselves a 3-0 hole in the Eastern Conference Finals, losing the first two tilts in the arena that surprisingly proved most difficult for them to earn a win. 

After Derrick White's Game 6 heroics, salvaging Boston's title hopes with a buzzer-beating put-back, the Celtics nearly became the first team in league history to erase a 3-0 deficit. But Jayson Tatum injured his ankle on the first play of the ensuing winner-take-all matchup, a contest that proved uncompetitive.

In a conversation with WCVB's Duke Castiglione, Celtics' owner Wyc Grousbeck conveyed that the up-and-down nature of the franchise's recent postseason performances signaled to him that it was time for change. 

"I walked in and met with Joe (Mazzulla) and Brad (Stevens), and I just said, 'I know one thing: we're not bringing this team back,' shared Grousbeck. 

"That was over the summer. It was two years in a row of really good teams that fell short, and in my view, they were inconsistent. We were hot and cold, high and low, and we lost. And we lost to two good teams, the Warriors and the Heat, but we lost. And I just said, 'We're not bringing it back; we're not running it back, period. That's my decision. Now, you tell me what changes we ought to make, guys, or let's do it together. But I wanted their recommendations. And so, I said it out there: we're not bringing the team back, and we didn't bring the team back. Did I know we were gonna get (Kristaps) Porzingis and (Jrue) Holiday? No, I did not. Is that the genius of Brad? Yes. Brad is unbelievable and deserves all the credit in the world."

Boston reshaping the core of its roster at the expense of Marcus Smart and Robert Williams has afforded it better spacing and more options at both ends of the floor. The Celtics' ability to maximize having the most talented top six in the NBA also stems from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's maturation, a shift from looking ahead to the playoffs during the previous regular season to a "win the day" mantra, and the group's willingness to sacrifice and put the team first.

It's led to the C's sitting atop the NBA standings with a league-leading 46-12 record. They have a 4.5-game cushion on the Minnesota Timberwolves, the next closest team to them in the standings.

But right now, it's only late February. As Grousbeck noted, We're just getting started. We haven't accomplished anything yet."

Further Reading

76ers Gift Celtics Welcome Playoff Prep: 'Taken Tremendous Steps'

Jaylen Brown's Evolution Crucial to Celtics' Desire to Win with More Than Talent

Celtics Embracing Challenge to Go Beyond Most Talented

Jayson Tatum Opens Up About Sacrificing in Celtics' Title Pursuit: 'It's a Process'

Kristaps Porzingis Shares How First Season with Celtics Compares to His Expectations: 'Haven't Stopped Smiling'

Brad Stevens Discusses Celtics' Plan for Final Roster Spot

Marcus Smart Shares How Boston Shaped Him, His Message to Celtics Fans

Celtics Maturation Molded by Experience: 'It Builds, Like, an Armor'

Jaylen Brown Quieting Doubters, Validating What He Always Believed: 'Earn Everybody's Trust'

Joe Mazzulla Discusses Identity, Evolution of Celtics' Offense: 'Balance of Pace and Execution'