Anybody could play at any given time: how Joe Mazzulla handles Boston Celtics rotations

The Boston Celtics are looking for some depth to add to the team for future contending seasons while they wait for star forward Jayson Tatum to return from an Achilles tendon injury sustained vs. the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, and for a moment, it looked like backup forward Josh Minott might be the guy they were looking for.

The former Minnesota Timberwolves swingman had played his way into a starting role early in the Celtics' 2025-26 regular season schedule, but after a few bumpy games, saw himself replaced by third-year forward Jordan Walsh. Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla recently spoke about that dynamic after a Celtics practice on Thursday (Nov 20) afternoon, saying "I think at the end of the day ... we have an understanding that anybody could play at any given time, and we have multiple guys that can give us different stuff."

"Also, you're seeing a group of guys that are just learning," he added. "Learning the league, learning how to execute one night, but also turn that into consistency, turn that into habits, and then just deal with the ebbs and flows of the season."

"Everyone focuses on player development as far as on court work, but there's a there's a mental and a psychological aspect to the development piece of learning how to handle the league," continued the Celtics coach.

"The league is very unforgettable, from a physical standpoint on your body and also a mental standpoint, so Josh is a guy who takes that serious, who understands the opportunity that he has, and he just continues to get better and better. That's all you could ask for."

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Anybody could play at any given time: how Mazzulla handles Celtics rotations