The Celtics stumbled early this season, starting with three straight losses. But Boston’s new-look basketball team has recovered by winning four of the last six.
In those six games, newcomer Josh Minott has made a name for himself among. Minott began his career in Minnesota, where he played three seasons for the Timberwolves before signing with Boston in July.
He has averaged 25.1 minutes per game over this stretch, including 34 on Wednesday in the blowout victory over the Wizards. It was against Washington that head coach Joe Mazzulla made a key change that paved the path to victory.
After being outscored 37-26 in the first quarter, Mazzulla switched Minott to the five. The 22-year-old, who usually plays power forward, was now defending the paint. The Celtics poured it on in the second, outscoring the Wizards 44-23.
Minott spent the rest of the night playing center and [was asked about the switch](https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/11/joe-mazzulla-may-have-solved-celtics-conundrum-in-wizards-win.html) after the game.
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“I’ve done it a little bit,” Minott said of playing center. “I’m trying to work on my versatility defensively every day. I’ve done it a few times in the past. I’m definitely trying to expand my game to include that five-man role.”
The switch paid dividends on the offensive side as well, as Minott was able to record a career-high 21 points.
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Mazzulla clearly liked what he saw, too, as he told reporters that the switch took away what the Wizards were doing best Wednesday night.
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“I think throughout the game, it took away a lot of their rolls,” Mazzulla said of playing Minott at center. “Sarr and Bagley are both obviously active rollers, and I think having that in there and their switching kind of took that stuff away for most of the second half.”
Fans should expect to see Minott playing center more often moving forward as the C’s continue to work out the kinks on the roster.
Featured image via Troy Wayrynen/Imagn Images