Boston Celtics
General managers expect the Celtics to take a big step back this season, but Joe Mazzulla and Jayson Tatum got some respect in some of the categories.
NBA general managers are also expecting the Celtics to take a step back in 2025-26 with Jayson Tatum set to miss the majority of the season.
In the most recent edition of NBA.com’s annual GM survey, the Celtics only received one vote to finish in the top four of the Eastern Conference among the 29 other general managers. That’s obviously a major step back from last season, when 97 percent of the general managers picked the Celtics to win the conference and 83 percent of them picked Boston to repeat as champions.
Of course, the general managers wound up being wrong last season as the Celtics were eliminated by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. But the annual survey allows fans to see how general managers think about each team and some of the top players in the league, too.
So, let’s take a look at what general managers think about the Celtics, Brad Stevens, Joe Mazzulla, and more ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Joe Mazzulla is viewed as among the best head coaches in a couple of areas.
In his first few seasons as the head coach of the Celtics, Mazzulla has been known for embracing 3-pointers and an analytical offensive approach. But general managers find his defensive work and motivating skills to be his most impressive traits, at least relative to his peers.
Mazzulla received the third-most votes for the coach who is the best motivator and manager of people, along with Steve Kerr (14 percent). Only the Heat’s Erik Spoelstra (28 percent) and the Rockets’ Ime Udoka (24 percent) received more votes.
Elsewhere, Mazzulla received the fourth-most votes for the coach who has the best defensive scheme (10 percent). Only the Thunder’s Mark Daigneault (37 percent), Udoka (23 percent), and Spoelstra (13 percent) received more votes.
Mazzulla didn’t receive any votes for the coach who runs the best offense or the coach who makes the best in-game adjustments prompts.
The Celtics have ranked in the top five in defensive rating in each of Mazzulla’s first three seasons as head coach, so him being viewed as a top-five defensive coach isn’t much of a surprise. But Boston’s has been even better in Mazzulla’s first three years, ranking second or better in offensive rating in each of those three seasons.
Jayson Tatum is still garnering respect as a top player in the league.
Tatum might be sidelined for most of the 2025-26 season as he rehabs from an Achilles tear, but general managers around the league still view him as a top talent.
Tatum received the second-most votes for which player is the best small forward in the league (20 percent). Only Luka Doncic (40 percent) received more votes. However, the Lakers star was also a top vote-getter for who general managers view as the best point guard and shooting guard in the NBA.
On top of being voted one of the game’s best small forwards, Tatum also received votes in the which player is the most versatile and which player is the best leader prompts.
Tatum’s versatility has been a key reason why he’s been named first-team All-NBA for four straight seasons. He was one of four players to average at least 26 points and six assists per game last season. Defensively, Tatum has notably covered all five positions in recent years.
One general manager liked the Celtics’ offseason.
For many Celtics fans, the summer wasn’t a great one. After Tatum’s injury and an upset loss to the Knicks, the Celtics traded Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday while watching Al Horford and Luke Kornet walk in free agency over the offseason.
But as the Celtics shed salary to get under the second luxury tax apron, one general manager believed that they made the best moves over the offseason. The survey doesn’t provide any explanations or quotes from the general managers for their votes, making Boston’s inclusion in that prompt even more curious. Maybe that general manager was impressed by Stevens’s ability to clear salary or really liked the Celtics’ selection of Hugo Gonzalez.
Sam Cassell is liked by multiple executives.
Mazzulla might have a top head coach candidate for next offseason on his coaching staff. Cassell received the fourth-most votes (seven percent) among general managers when asked who the best assistant coach in the league is.
Cassell has garnered head coach interest in recent years, interviewing for vacancies when he was with the 76ers before joining Mazzulla’s staff in 2023. He interviewed to become the next head coach of the Lakers in 2024, with JJ Redick reportedly expressing interest in hiring him as an assistant after he got the job. Doc Rivers and the Bucks also tried to pry Cassell away from the Celtics in 2024.
A few other notable items
While Tatum received the second-most votes for the best small forward prompt, he wasn’t the only Celtics player to receive votes there. Jaylen Brown was listed among those receiving votes in the category. Brown, who Finals MVP in 2024, scored 22.2 points per game last season, but wasn’t eligible for any accolades last season due to games played.
The Celtics were one of five teams to receive votes from general managers when asked which team has the best home-court advantage. The Nuggets, Thunder, and Knicks were the only teams to receive more votes.
Tatum’s injury and Boston’s salary-shedding offseason have also seemed to hurt the Celtics in a few other prompts. After being voted as the best defense last season, the Celtics didn’t receive any votes in that category this year. They also didn’t receive any votes for which offense would be the most efficient after receiving the most votes last year.
However, the Celtics were one of 10 teams to receive votes for the question of which team’s success is the toughest to predict this season. The 76ers were the runaway top vote-getter in that category, receiving 47 percent of the vote.
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