The Boston Celtics have won two out of three games so far in a strong pre-season for the men in green. If it were up to Celtics title-winning head coach Joe Mazzulla, however, they may not have played any preseason games at all.
The Celtics have just one more preseason game before they open the regular season against the Philadelphia 76ers. Mazzulla would prefer a much larger emphasis on practice rather than exhibition games as preparation for the season’s opening tip.
Why Is Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla Not a Fan Of Preseason Games?
In a candid admission, Celtics coach Mazzulla admits he is far from a fan of preseason games. “I’d rather have no preseason games and practice every day. I hate preseason games.”
Mazzulla emphasized he’d rather “practice for a month straight.” Telling reporters these games are hindered by minutes restrictions and which rotation players need to sit, he adds he’d much prefer to focus on practice, “At the end of the day, it’s a preseason game. To me, you come in here and practice and you work.”
Joe Mazzulla is not a fan of the preseason:
“I’d rather have no preseason games and practice every day. I hate preseason games.”
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— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 14, 2025
This is a somewhat surprising admission because it’s hard to recreate competitive games in a practice scenario. Preseason games offer the benefit of allowing coaches to assess which rotations are effective, gradually build stamina, and help rookies gain valuable minutes on the floor. Moreover, they also allow the back-end of the roster players to impress or help land them on another roster.
For instance, his coaching counterpart in New York, Mike Brown, used yesterday’s preseason game against the Washington Wizards as an opportunity to sit all starters, giving his bench and younger players a chance to impress.
They lost on the night, but it has at least given Brown valuable insight into whom to trust when he wishes to expand his rotation. Information he likely wouldn’t have gleamed from simple practice drills. However, Mazzulla may have a point that four pre-season games may be too many.
How Does Boston’s Season Ahead Look Without Jayson Tatum?
That said, Mazzulla must be happy with how pre-season has worked out for his Celtics. With the shock news that Jayson Tatum is way ahead in his recovery from his Achilles surgery and could return in an unprecedented timeline later this season, tails are firmly up within the Celtics locker room.
Judging by preseason performances, Jaylen Brown looks confident and ready to lead his team this season. However, expectations aren’t particularly high among many experts, as this is the first time they haven’t been considered among the title contenders in a few years. The Celtics, as a group, remain unperturbed by outside talk, as they feel they have the talent in the building to turn heads and be a strong team this year.