Retaining Sam Cassell Could be the Celtics Savviest Move of the Off-Season

There was always likely to be plenty of movement on the Celtics’ bench this off-season with Joe Mazzulla given his first opportunity to hand-pick his coaching staff. This was exacerbated by the almost inevitable departure of lead assistant Charles Lee, who has been handed a four-year deal as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, replacing Steve Clifford. Lee had spent just a single season in Boston, yet he was praised for bringing energy and positivity to the camp and having accumulated vast amounts of experience with the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks, he deserves his chance to prove himself as a number one.

Replacing the winningest coach in the franchise’s history is a sizable task and he has persuaded Celtics development coach Jermaine Bucknor and Blaine Mueller to join him in Queen City.

When it comes to openings on the coaching staff, Mazzulla has spoken about his desire to promote from within, and he has fulfilled that promise with Matt Reynolds, Tony Dobbins and D.J. McLeay being given the chance to step up and take a more prominent role next season. This provides a much-needed level of continuity at the franchise, something which is often undervalued in professional sport. God Shammgod Jr., one of Mazzulla’s former college players and son of the legendary NBA coach is one of just two new faces. He will begin his role as player development coach ahead of the new season alongside Da’Sean Butler, who played at West Virginia with the head coach.

Jayson Tatum’s high-profile and lucrative five-year contract extension, coupled with the re-signing of Luke Kornet, Derrick White and Neemias Queta offers plenty of familiarity and given the success of last season, it makes sense to maintain as much stability and cohesion as possible.

Nevertheless, Sam Cassell’s presence may be decisive in enabling the Celtics to go back-to-back. He has spent the last two seasons in Boston, helping them reach the NBA summit and clinch the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Having interviewed for the Lakers’ vacancy and reportedly having only missed out on the role to JJ Redick, the four-time NBA champion will be determined to continue his progression as a coach this season working under Mazzulla. Cassell’s communication skills have been praised by his colleague, and he’s also been credited with improving Jayson Tatum’s post-up game.

Cassell has been given a promotion and will take up the lead assistant position in the coming weeks. His expertise and eye for detail could be crucial in ensuring that the Celtics’ recent dominance continues. Despite his failure to clinch the top job at the Lakers, Cassell’s services are still likely to be coveted given the 54-year-old’s vast experience in the NBA. With over a decade of experience as a right-hand man, Cassell is keen to take the next step. He’s previously interviewed for the top job with the Clippers and the Jazz, and it surely won’t be long before he is handed an opportunity to showcase his credentials elsewhere.

For now, the Celtics have managed to keep hold of one of the sport’s most astute operators and by handing him a little more responsibility, it appears to be a smart move, which could benefit all parties involved. Cassell’s first task will be to help the Celtics dominate the league once again. They amassed the 13th best point differential in NBA history and have been described as one of the best teams of all time. Having won 19 games by at least 25 points, they were truly dominant, especially when coming up against injury-ravaged opponents and it’s unsurprising to see online bookmakers price them up as the early favourites in the outright winner odds.

The new season doesn’t get underway until October and there is still plenty of time to make amendments to both playing and coaching rosters. Nevertheless, US and Canadian betting sites have already made several NBA betting markets available, and the Celtics can be backed at 1.6 to finish top of the Atlantic Division. Jayson Tatum is also available at 26.00 to be awarded the regular season MVP.

Their rate of 122.2 points per 100 possessions is unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon, although the analytical style of Joe Mazzulla coupled with Cassell’s positivity and big-match know-how should see the Celtics firmly in the mix for play-off success once again. If the 2024-25 season progresses, they may find it increasingly difficult to prevent Cassell from moving on, yet, for the time being, he looks set to be a key component in helping the champions to potentially reach new heights.