Brissett was ready when called
Mazzulla keeps reserves in loop
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla strives to maintain the same connections and dialogues with end-ofbench players as he does with his stars. He wants to ensure that each player feels like an essential part of this journey, regardless of playing time or scoring averages.
Mazzulla and forward Oshae Brissett, for example, speak almost every day. Mazzulla urges Brissett to maintain confidence in his jumpshot. He reminds Brissett that one of the reasons the Celtics signed him last summer was because he caught their eye by drilling six 3-pointers against them as a Pacer two years ago, punishing Boston for attempting to guard him with a center.
“It feels good having a coach that believes in me,” Brissett said.
The hard part is that on this starstudded team that has vaulted to the top of the NBA, belief does not always translate into playing time. After getting some chances early in the season, Brissett fell completely out of the rotation, with Mazzulla mostly settling on a bench group consisting of Al Horford, Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and Luke Kornet.
But Brissett has not sulked. During one of his recent conversations with Mazzulla, Brissett explained how he is using his situation to gather helpful information. From his seat on the bench, he has studied the Celtics and tried to identify the areas in which they could benefit from a boost,
“Then you start to develop an identity of, ‘I can be this for our team,’ ” Mazzulla said.
Brissett, 25, believed that his versatility could help Boston at both ends of the floor. And a jolt of intensity would not hurt, either.
“Every now and then it’s good to throw a little change in there,” he said. “But I know what I can bring to the table, and that’s energy and being excited to be out there with these guys. And any given night I can get out there, I’m just going to do that.”
Celtics big men Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kornet were sidelined Friday night against the Magic, leaving two-way contract player Neemias Queta as the only true center available. So Mazzulla knew he would have to get creative.
Brissett checked in to start the second quarter, joining an unusual lineup that included Jayson Tatum, Pritchard, Queta, and Svi Mykhailiuk. His impact was noticeable. During one brief stretch, Brissett converted an acrobatic reverse layup, drained a corner 3-pointer, and deposited a lefthanded dunk. That slam was a catalyst for the 14-3 run that put Boston in control of its 128111 win.
In 15 minutes, 38 seconds, Brissett made all four of his field-goal attempts and finished with 11 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist. He had scored just 14 points all season entering Friday.
Brissett acknowledged that being summoned for spot duty creates unique challenges, but he simply reminded himself of the coaches’ confidence in him.
When he was asked afterward what it meant to have such a productive stint after spending the better part of a month on the bench, he smiled and gave an exaggerated exhale.
“It was like, one of those,” he said.
“It’s tough, wanting to win and wanting to do so well and trying to play perfect. You can’t really do that as a basketball player, especially in limited minutes. You’ve just got to be yourself and play a little free. It’s tough, again, because you want to do the right thing so bad. But, at the end of the day, it’s basketball and I’ve been playing basketball for a long time.”
The play of Brissett and other third-string backups such as Lamar Stevens and Queta should at least give Mazzulla some peace of mind the next time Boston is significantly shorthanded. After Friday’s win, Brissett bristled at the suggestion that the Celtics could be in a bad spot when they need to go so deep into their bench. He believes that Boston’s second unit is better than the starting groups of many other teams.
“I feel like we are one of the best benches in the league,” Brissett said. “It doesn’t matter if some of the guys are out; I feel like we have the confidence in ourselves to step up and do what we have to do.”