Bill Simmons Claims This Player Was ‘Coaching’ Celtics In Game 7 Loss To Heat

From Bill Simmons’ point of view, Al Horford was pulling double duty in the Celtics’ season-ending loss Monday night.

As the elder statesman on Boston’s roster, it’s probably not uncommon for Horford to take command in the locker room and/or try to inspire his team in the huddle. But Simmons, who was at TD Garden for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, believes Horford was actually handling some coaching responsibilities in what proved to be the final game of Boston’s campaign.

“He (Horford) was coaching the team,” Simmons said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” as transcribed by Basketball Network. “They call timeouts, and Horford sits on the coach’s chair and coaches for like two minutes, as Joe (Mazzulla) is with his four assistant coaches that we found in Store 24. What the hell? I didn’t recognize any of these assistant coaches. … Al Horford’s there coaching. And then sometimes (Marcus) Smart will come in, and he’s coaching. And Joe comes back with like 20 seconds left in the timeout.”

As for Boston’s actual head coach, Mazzulla defended the Celtics’ risky offensive strategy in the final contest against the Heat. The lopsided Game 7 loss was a tough way for Mazzulla to end his first season at the helm in Boston, but he reportedly does not have to worry about his job security over the summer.