Joe Mazzulla Explains (Proven) Benefits Of New-Look Celtics Front Court

BOSTON — Unlike last season, the Celtics have a major luxury working in their favor entering their 2023-24 run, courtesy of the organization’s offseason scheme.

The Celtics, since re-entering NBA Finals-contending conversation, have re-established their outside shooting game. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and company can produce from 3-point territory better than most teams across the league. However, failing to find points elsewhere on the floor, at times that’s also haunted Boston, making the new-look Celtics even more noticeable after just three games played so far.

“We have four guys that can post and because of the roster matchups are different and we can take advantage of matchups in different ways,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla explained before Wednesday night’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers. “… I think posting takes the pressure off of all of our guys and allows us to get to our spacing and kind of read where each guy is. So we just gotta continue to efficient of those.”

Kristaps Porzingis, the head honcho in that charge, has quickly provided a critical helping hand. The 7-foot-3 center has a unique offense arsenal that took New York by storm during his run with the Knicks, but went unrecognized for a few years with the lowly Washington Wizards, partially due to injury. But with Boston, the script has been re-flipped.

Porzingis has been a nightmare to defend for opponents, giving the Celtics length plus the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. He’s shot over 50% from the field with at least six rebounds and a block while averaging 20.7 points through Boston’s trio of victories to begin the year. That’s an elite-level front court presence the Celtics haven’t had since their 2008 “Big Three.”

That takes a needless-to-explain load off the back of 37-year-old Al Horford.

It’s an obvious added plus to an already All-Star tandem in Tatum and Brown that’s not only eye-popping on paper.

“It really helps our switch attack,” Mazzulla added. “We were able to post versus switching and force help and have guys have to come down it creates 2-on-1’s and get step-in shots. … It just compliments the roster and the lineups we have on the floor.”