‘Don’t Have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’: Isiah Thomas Doesn’t Want NBA Teams to Copy Celtics’ Playstyle

The Boston Celtics set the tempo for their season with a record-tying 29 three-point buckets on opening night. The trend has continued through the following weeks — they lead the NBA in attempts as well as baskets from beyond the arc. Their volume has undoubtedly helped them secure the second-best record in the league so far. However Isiah Thomas believes the other teams should not try to replicate it simply because they don’t have the players to pull it off.

“It’s a copycat league,” the two-time NBA champion said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “Boston plays this way, so, okay, all the other 29 teams have gotta play this way. Well, you don’t have [Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown, so you can’t play like Boston plays.”

Thomas’ advice for handling the defending champions was simple — “You have to find a way to play different that beats them.”

Thomas was pointing to a broader problem of the NBA, the uniformity in approach across teams. He described how teams had distinct styles back during his playing days — it was almost a clash of conflicting perspectives. Now every team just copies the blueprint used by the reigning NBA champions.

The Detroit Pistons legend underlined how the rise of analytics has prompted coaches to figure out a style of play that every team agrees with. They then stick to it the best way possible. That’s why all NBA games look the same.

Getting back to the Celtics, Thomas pointed out that Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens haven’t just changed their strategy to chuck up more shots but built a roster for it. An approach as aggressive as Boston’s requires the right personnel.

Payton Pritchard and Al Horford currently lead the team in three-point percentage, providing an excellent boost to the Celtics’ second unit. While Tatum and Brown shoot the three at a high volume, their efficiency has stuck around the 35% mark this season.

However, they can live with that because of rotational talents like Sam Hauser and Derrick White. In fact, the Celtics roster boasts eight players that are attempting over five three-pointers a game. 

With so many efficient high-volume shooters in the lineup, Mazzulla has been able to retain Boston’s tag as the league’s best team. 

Mazzulla has been instrumental to the Celtics’ success

At the start of the season, the head coach was asked about his strategy for defending the NBA title.

The 36-year-old sharply responded: “The phrase ‘defending a title’ is a very passive-aggressive term. If you look at the animal kingdom, some of the strongest animals don’t defend; they’re the most aggressive, and they attack the most.”

That’s exactly what Mazzulla’s side has done through the opening quarter of the 2024-25 season. After the first 15 games, the Celtics had knocked down 287 three-pointers, the most by any team in a 15-game span. With their current averages of 51.1 attempts and 19.0 conversions, Boston are on pace to surpass the Golden State Warriors’ record for most three-pointers made in a single season.

Mazzulla’s reliance on the long-range shots has had its critics. But the Rhode Island native has remained steadfast in pursuing this brand of offense since he became head coach in September 2022.

“I always had a question about, like, when we shoot a lot of 3s and miss, everybody asks me questions. But when we shoot a lot of layups and miss nobody says anything…. Just because you’re closer to the basket doesn’t mean it’s easier to score,” Mazzulla said.

The moves made under his tenure have all been with the intent of unlocking a new level of spacing for the Celtics. Without their depth and the right pieces around their superstars, Boston would suffer from the fate of the 2018-19 Houston Rockets who lived and died by the three-point during the postseason.

The fact is that the Celtics have the talent to score on all three-levels. Aut by fielding a lineup that can play five-out offense, Mazzulla has created more lanes and openings for his team to attack.