For Boston Celtics fans, the sting of blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Philadelphia 76ers is still fresh. And no one is more vocal about the collapse than Bill Simmons. The Ringer founder and lifelong Celtics supporter didn't hold back on his podcast, pointing the finger squarely at head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Simmons, who voted for Mazzulla as Coach of the Year after a stellar regular season, was baffled by the sudden shift in strategy. “I thought Mazzulla was incredible in the regular season,” Simmons said. “Honestly, I voted for him for Coach of the Year. I thought he was incredible. And I don’t know what they were thinking with this playoffs. I have so many questions.”
The Celtics entered the postseason as Eastern Conference favorites, thanks to a healthy Jayson Tatum and a deep bench. After jumping out to a 3-1 lead with two blowout wins, it seemed like Boston was cruising. But Joel Embiid’s return flipped the script entirely, and the Celtics crumbled in Game 7 at home, losing 109-100.
Simmons believes the issue wasn’t just Embiid’s presence, but Mazzulla’s decision to abandon the pace-and-space offense that defined the regular season. “Did Philly win this series or did Boston blow it? I think the answer is both,” Simmons stated. “They went back to their 2024 style without the same players, is my biggest issue. They slowed it down. They didn’t play with pace. They gave up on their bench.”
The Celtics’ bench had been a superpower all year, but in the playoffs, Mazzulla tightened his rotation, giving fewer minutes to young reserves. Simmons questioned whether the coach was already looking ahead to a potential second-round matchup with the New York Knicks. “I think Mazzulla treated this series like, ‘Let’s figure out what we have for when we play the Knicks and the Pistons and whoever comes out of the West,’” Simmons said. “‘I’m gonna use this as my litmus test series. I’m gonna see what we have in (Nikola) Vucevic. I’m gonna shorten my rotations. I’m gonna try to do the 2024 thing again.’ And they just got away from what succeeded for them. The bench was the superpower of this team.”
One of the most puzzling moves was starting Baylor Scheierman in Game 7. The 25-year-old rookie went scoreless in 22 minutes, a decision that left Simmons scratching his head. “I really think Mazzulla screwed this series up,” Simmons said. “And I’m always going to think that.”
This isn’t the first time Simmons has been critical of a Boston team’s playoff performance—he’s known for his passionate takes. But with the Celtics now heading into an offseason of uncertainty, the pressure is on Mazzulla to prove he can adapt when it matters most. For a franchise that hasn’t won a title since 2008, every misstep feels magnified.
As Simmons put it, the Celtics had everything going for them—home-court advantage, a deep roster, and a 3-1 lead. But in the end, they just got away from what worked. And that’s a hard pill to swallow for anyone in Boston.
