Wyc Grousbeck is not the most ubiquitous person in the Boston Celtics organization, but as lead Governor of the storied franchise, his voice carries weight when he does talk about his team. Grousbeck recently sat down for an interview on the state of his ball club with the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, and Grousbeck shed some light on a number of recent moves and concerns around the team in it.
The Celtics co-owner expressed optimism about the team’s chances to contend for a championship despite missing out on titles in recent seasons and revealed that the team made a conscious decision to not bring back the same roster after falling short of Banner 18 for the second consecutive season in which Boston was seen as a serious title contender.
“We had really talented teams for the last two years, but inconsistency at the end of each of the last two seasons cost us,” he explained.
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— Celtics Lab Podcast (@CelticsLab) August 3, 2023
“The general tone was, how do we take this energy we’re feeling right now that was built up over having two good seasons but then didn’t get all the way?” he asked.
“The whole point is, how do we get to Banner 18? If we’d all agreed we should keep things the same, that would have been fine. But the idea of bringing in another talented big popped up early in the conversation, and we ended up executing on that idea.”
The front office could have ran it back with minor changes and banked on internal growth to push them over the top. But instead, they added Kristaps Porzingis to bolster their lineup
Boston needs to find players willing to take a pay cut for a chance to compete for a championship. https://t.co/8f74Rnb6rB
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 7, 2023
“He’s a real force,” related Grousbeck. “I’m really impressed with his commitment to being part of a winning Celtics team … He’s so ready to shine at this stage of his career. But he sees a team concept, not the KP show. He’s continually improved over his career, and he thinks this is his prime.”
“But he’s about the team, his teammates, and the banner. He chose us. There were other people, I hear, that wanted him. And he chose us. He wants to be here and he wants to win a ring.”
What exactly is this power ranking using for criteria to elevate these ball clubs above Boston? https://t.co/j6hSNlv7Pv
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 6, 2023
Regarding the coaching staff, Grousbeck praised Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla for his handling of the team in the context of the chaos that marked the start of the 2022-23 season and believes in his potential for the future.
“We were in an interesting situation at the beginning of last season and Brad strongly recommended Joe for the job. And Brad feels even more strongly about him now, and I agree. Joe handled that initial transition and eventually the entire season incredibly well. He’s got world-class intensity, drive, and knowledge.”
“He is fully committed to winning a championship with this group,” added the Celtics owner. “It’s all he thinks about.”
Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck had nothing but love for Marcus Smart in a recent interview with the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. https://t.co/NVY3YZtpJu
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 7, 2023
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