Even Dan Shaughnessy is asking the big question following last night’s Celts loss: “Could Mazzulla be the first man to be fired and named NBA coach of the year in the same week?” Probably not in the same week. But hopefully in the same year. (Assuming he wins the award; you have to wonder if the NBA is fiddling with the votes as we speak to avoid the embarrassment.) … There’s the regular season. And then there’s the playoffs. Sure, the Celts won the championship in 2024 under Joe. But they choked/collapsed in the playoffs in 2023, 2025 and now 2026 under Joe. They’re squandering a potential dynastic era by keeping the status quo in place.

Question: The analytics obsessed Mazzulla keeps talking about “return to the norm” when the Celts’ 3-pointers stop falling. But has anyone analyzed how long the average “return to the norm” takes to unfold – and the won-loss ratio when a team sticks to it too long without making adjustments? I mean, there’s got to be a mathematical way to show Joe he’s mathematically nuts, beyond pointing out to him the playoff results of 2023, 2025 and 2026. … And, yes, trade Tatum or Brown. At least entertain the idea. They can get some excellent players for one of them, hopefully a big man.

P.S. — The Hub Blog mind drifts to the Bill Belichick drama before he was finally canned by Kraft. … 

P.S. II — Meanwhile, Hardwood Houdini‘s mind drifts to Doc Rivers …

Update — From Brian Robb at MassLive: “Joe Mazzulla’s bizarre gamble backfires in Celtics Game 7 loss to 76ers”