Celtics Analyst Says Joe Mazzulla Is Struggling To Organize Guard Minutes

Something incredibly strange happened during the Boston Celtics-Orlando Magic game on Sunday night, which Boston won by a score of 111-107. Anfernee Simons went on an all-time heater in the first half, scoring 25 points (including 17 straight points), but was then mysteriously left out of the Celtics’ offensive plan for the second half, both due to head coach Joe Mazzulla not playing Simons much and due to Simons not getting that many touches when he was on the floor.

So, what happened? Why on Earth didn’t Boston keep playing and feeding Simons, who couldn’t miss? While the Celts did end up winning the game, fans and pundits alike are still scratching their heads a day later about the Simons debacle.

Following Sunday’s game, CLNS Media’s John Zannis didn’t hold back his thoughts on what he deemed to be a mishandling of Simons’s minutes by Mazzulla. Zannis also suggested that Mazzulla doesn’t quite know how to organize minutes between Simons and Boston’s two other guards, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, which is a problem that the Celtics experienced a few years ago in the form of White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Marcus Smart eating into each other’s minutes.

“We are right back to Brogdon, White and Smart,” Zannis said. “It’s the same exact thing. And what’s happening is, Pritchard is defaulting ahead of Simons all the time, and Simons gets lost in the shuffle, the same way Brogdon would sometimes play one stint in the third quarter, and then be iced out for the rest of the game because (Mazzulla) was always gonna close with Smart and White.”

“So Joe’s struggling to figure out where to place (Simons) in that rotation,” Zannis continued. “Because he’s got his guys (that) he’s more comfortable with, and you see (Simons) disappear (from the rotation) like he did in the second half.”

Mazzulla opted to give Hugo González and Jordan Walsh big minutes in the second half, as both players were providing energy and defense. It was a decision that Simons himself defended following the game. However, Zannis still wasn’t completely okay with it.

“He stayed with his other guys, but it’s kind of a shame that you have a guy who’s literally nuclear hot in the first half, and you’rere not working to get him the ball,” Zannis said.

Simons and the Celtics will continue their season Tuesday with a game on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celts and Sixers have split the season series 1-1 so far.