You may recall that Niccolo Machiavelli once discussed in his writing the relative merits of a leader being loved or feared. This was about 500 years before Calogero asked Sonny the same question in “A Bronx Tale.”
Today, the Boston Celtics find themselves on the scale between feared and respected, no longer possessing the omnipotence to command both edges.
And while Joe Mazzulla has far greater familiarity with the 1993 film than Big Mach’s “The Prince,” he might be heartened to know that the team he coaches is gaining respect around the league, even as it no longer scares anyone.
As was the case in the works mentioned in the first paragraph, the optimal goal is to engender both emotions — fear and, adapted for the NBA, respect. Joe well knows that, failing that, Sonny would rather be feared. (Mazzulla also knows that the hands-down best line in the movie is when Sonny locks the bar door on the bikers and says, “Now youse can’t leave.” But, hey, let’s not stray too far from the hoop here.)
The word on the Celtics around the NBA is generally more of a shaken head than an utterance. In discussions with Heavy on Celtics these last several weeks, coaches, scouts and front office people see the Bostonian slip from grace as fated by Jayson Tatum’s ruptured Achilles’ tendon and how that injury made it easier for the franchise to surrender to the demonic second apron.
“They were not going to be a contender anyway without Tatum,” said one coach, “but when you trade (Kristaps) Porzingis and Jrue (Holiday) and let (Al) Horford and (Luke) Kornet walk, that guts your rotation. They could have spent the millions and millions in luxury tax to keep those other guys and then hoped that Tatum comes back healthy late in the year, but, in the long run, was that a chance worth taking?”
And now? Put simply by a front office executive, “There’s a different feeling when you see Boston on your schedule. I’m not saying you expect anything to be easy â far from it. But it’s just not the same as when you saw those guys from the last two years waiting for you.”
Scout: Celtics Roster Forced to âPlay Up a Levelâ
One scout told Heavy there were bound to be struggles when the seating chart at the rotational table was changed.
“Everybody’s had to play up a level. I mean everybody,” he said. “But I tell you what, they try hard. You know what I’m saying? It’s just that it’s not the same when you’re playing guys in different roles, bigger roles. They may be a star in one situation, but they could be going against different people when you ask them to do more, and that’s a problem. And it’ll be even more of a problem if they get into the playoffs.”
The Celts’ strain to get their heads above .500 has added to his respect. Getting more specific, he said, “Neemias (Queta) is a perfect third big. Perfect. But he’s got to be the starter. That’s a tough position to be put in, but that’s not stopping from going out and playing hard every night.
“What I like that I’ve seen is that they still get after it even when it’s not working. I mean, that guy (Jordan) Walsh, he’s getting better and he has a chance, but he wouldnât get anywhere near the floor if they had last year’s team and it was healthy. But nobody wants to be good more than him. He might hit a 3 every now and then, and when he does, I’m so happy for him because nobody wants to be a player more than that young man. Nobody. He’s still struggling with a feel for what he’s doing, but they’ve given him a role, and, damn, he gets after it.”
‘If You Don’t Play Hard, They’re Going to Beat You’
Perhaps it’s easier for opponents to say nice things about a club they don’t expect to worry about come springtime. But personnel people around the league are keeping a closer eye on the Celtics than you might expect, largely because Brad Stevens may be more open to dealing prior to the February 5 trade deadline.
And they come away with a similar response to the overall product. Even unprompted.
“Collectively, they all go out there and try,” said one longtime front office foe. “So if you don’t play hard, they’re going to beat you. They just are, because they try, and there’s something to be said for that.
“You’ve got some teams easing into things and other teams trying to find their identity, like it’s some damn philosophy class. These guys just go out and play. Yeah, theyâre trying to figure things out on the fly, but while they’re doing that, they’re not taking any plays off. As a basketball person, you have to respect that.
“I don’t know if you can ask anything more of them. I really don’t. You don’t have a night off with those guys.”
The initial fear of the Celtics may be lost, but if opponents start fooling around and losing proper court discipline, they might look up to find Mazzulla and his crew locking the Garden door and calling them “youse.”
It’s not quite the championship-now mantra of the past few seasons — not what the loyal fan base wants or expects. But in a league where a few teams trolling the depths are already looking to the 2026 draft for salvation, it ain’t exactly nothing either.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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