ESPN's Celtics Stat to Know Highlights Incredible Trend With One Major Catch image
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The Boston Celtics have developed an unusual trend under Joe Mazzulla.
As part of the publication's season preview, ESPN broke down one stat that could swing each team's upcoming season. Boston's stat to know was the number four, representing the four seasons in which the Celtics have finished in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating under Mazzulla.
That's a remarkable trend, but it comes with a rather significant catch.
"In all four of Joe Mazzulla's seasons as Boston's head coach, the Celtics have finished with a top-five offensive and defensive rating, per Cleaning the Glass," writes ESPN's Zach Kram. "Only three other squads in that span have accomplished that feat: the 2023-24 Thunder, the 2024-25 Thunder and the 2025-26 San Antonio Spurs.
"That consistent two-way excellence hasn't always translated to the playoffs. In those four seasons, Boston won one title but was upset in the three other series.
"Yet after an offseason of turmoil, that consistency should also be encouraging for Celtics fans. Even without Jaylen Brown, their team will likely look like a championship contender on both sides once again — in the regular season, at least."
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Mazzulla's first season as Boston's head coach ended with the Celtics losing to the No. 8-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. They followed that up by winning the NBA championship, only to lose in the second round in 2025 and the first round in 2026 despite being the higher seed in both series.
Through four seasons, the Celtics have a 238-90 regular-season record (.726 winning percentage) under Mazzulla compared to a 36-21 record (.632 winning percentage) in the playoffs.
If both of those numbers sound good, it's because they are. Mazzulla holds the highest regular-season winning percentage in NBA history. He also ranks seventh all-time in playoff winning percentage, per Basketball-Reference, trailing a group that includes Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson and Mark Daigneault.
Mazzulla's regular-season success is undeniable. The question is whether that consistency can translate into another deep playoff run after coming up short in each of the past two seasons.
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