Rivals on Boston Celtics Without Jayson Tatum: Not Terrifying, But Never a Night Off
You may recall that Niccolo Machiavelli once discussed in his writing the relative merits of a leader being loved or feared. This was about 500 years before Calogero asked Sonny the same question in “A Bronx Tale.”
Today, the Boston Celtics find themselves on the scale between feared and respected, no longer possessing the omnipotence to command both edges.
And while Joe Mazzulla has far greater familiarity with the 1993 film than Big Mach’s “The Prince,” he might be heartened to know that the team he coaches is gaining respect around the league, even as it no longer scares anyone.
As was the case in the works mentioned in the first paragraph, the optimal goal is to engender both emotions — fear and, adapted for the NBA, respect. Joe well knows that, failing that, Sonny would rather be feared. (Mazzulla also knows that the hands-down best line in the movie is when Sonny locks the bar door on the bikers and says, “Now youse
The word on the Celtics around the NBA is generally more of a shaken head than an utterance. In discussions with Heavy on Celtics these last several weeks, coaches, scouts and front office people see the Bostonian slip from grace as fated by Jayson Tatum’s ruptured Achilles’ tendon and how that injury made it easier for the franchise to surrender to the demonic second apron.
“They were not going to be a contender anyway without Tatum,” said one coach, “but when you trade (Kristaps) Porzingis and Jrue (Holiday) and let (Al) Horford and (Luke) Kornet walk, that guts your rotation. They could have spent the millions and millions in luxury tax to keep those other guys and then hoped that Tatum comes back healthy late in the year, but, in the long run, was that a chance worth taking?”
And now? Put simply by a front office executive, “There’s a different feeling when you see Boston on your schedule. I’m not saying you expect anything to be easy — far from it. But it’s just not the same as when you saw those guys from the last two years waiting for you.”
Scout: Celtics Roster Forced to ‘Play Up a Level’
One scout told Heavy there were bound to be struggles when the seating chart at the rotational table was changed.
“Everybody’s had to play up a level. I mean everybody,” he said. “But I tell you what, they try hard. You know what I’m saying? It’s just that it’s not the same when you’re playing guys in different roles, bigger roles. They may be a star in one situation, but they could be going against different people when you ask them to do more, and that’s a problem. And it’ll be even more of a problem if they get into the playoffs.”
The Celts’ strain to get their heads above .500 has added to his respect. Getting more specific, he said, “Neemias (Queta) is a perfect third big. Perfect. But he’s got to be the starter. That’s a tough position to be put in, but that’s not stopping from going out and playing hard every night.
“What I like that I’ve seen is that they still get after it even when it’s not working. I mean, that guy (Jordan) Walsh, he’s getting better and he has a chance, but he wouldn’t get anywhere near the floor if they had last year’s team and it was healthy. But nobody wants to be good more than him. He might hit a 3 every now and then, and when he does, I’m so happy for him because nobody wants to be a player more than that young man. Nobody. He’s still struggling with a feel for what he’s doing, but they’ve given him a role, and, damn, he gets after it.”
‘If You Don’t Play Hard, They’re Going to Beat You’
Perhaps it’s easier for opponents to say nice things about a club they don’t expect to worry about come springtime. But personnel people around the league are keeping a closer eye on the Celtics than you might expect, largely because Brad Stevens may be more open to dealing prior to the February 5 trade deadline.
And they come away with a similar response to the overall product. Even unprompted.
“Collectively, they all go out there and try,” said one longtime front office foe. “So if you don’t play hard, they’re going to beat you. They just are, because they try, and there’s something to be said for that.
“You’ve got some teams easing into things and other teams trying to find their identity, like it’s some damn philosophy class. These guys just go out and play. Yeah, they’re trying to figure things out on the fly, but while they’re doing that, they’re not taking any plays off. As a basketball person, you have to respect that.
“I don’t know if you can ask anything more of them. I really don’t. You don’t have a night off with those guys.”
The initial fear of the Celtics may be lost, but if opponents start fooling around and losing proper court discipline, they might look up to find Mazzulla and his crew locking the Garden door and calling them “youse.”
It’s not quite the championship-now mantra of the past few seasons — not what the loyal fan base wants or expects. But in a league where a few teams trolling the depths are already looking to the 2026 draft for salvation, it ain’t exactly nothing either.
Seahawks Projected To Land 20-Year-Old Defensive Stud in 2026 NFL Draft
While there’s still plenty left for Seahawks fans to focus on in the 2025 season, it’s never too early for a mock draft. ESPN recently released a 2026 NFL mock draft, and it linked Seattle to an interesting prospect. As always, a lot will change between now and April, but what makes this mock draft stand out is that it could be a clue for how the Seahawks handle several other offseason decisions.
Seattle would hold the No. 27 overall pick based on their current record. At that spot, Matt Miller, an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, paired the Seahawks with Brandon Cisse, a cornerback at the University of South Carolina.
Brandon Cisse’s Draft Profile
Cisse is in his junior year at South Carolina. He’s already had a strong season for the Gamecocks, but at just 20 years old, he could offer a lot of upside for growth even after being drafted. In 10 games this season, Cisse has 22 tackles, four pass deflections, and one interception. He’s also added 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
“Sometimes a prospect’s skill set fits so perfectly with an NFL team that the match seems inevitable,” Miller writes for ESPN. “That’s the case with Cisse and Mike Macdonald’s defense in Seattle. The explosive, quick Cisse has become one of the nation’s top cornerbacks after transferring from NC State, allowing only seven completions on 23 passes into his coverage while picking off one pass.”
Charlie Campbell, a senior draft analyst for WalterFootball, discussed Cisse’s draft stock with five NFL teams and writes, “[Four teams] had him projected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick, and one team had him as a second-rounder.” Campbell adds, “With a quality skill set and good tape, I have Cisse going in the back half of the first round of my latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft.”
Cisse is listed at 6-feet, 190 pounds. While not a physical outlier, that’s sufficient NFL size for a cornerback. In an article for 247Sports, Hale McGranahan says Cisse has played both on the boundary and in the slot. “A majority of [Cisse’s] 361 snaps in 2024 were at an outside cornerback position,” McGranahan says, adding, “Most of his action in 2023 was from a slot position.”
What the Draft Pick Means for the Seahawks
Seattle’s secondary will be in an ambiguous place once the 2025 season ends. Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe are both set to become unrestricted free agents in the offseason. If John Schneider were to spend his 2026 first-round pick on Cisse, it could mean Woolen and Jobe both hit the open market.
The Athletic’s Michael- Shawn Dugar wrote that the decision to re-sign the cornerback duo remains up in the air. That’s to be expected. It’s an offseason issue, not one worth dealing with while the Seahawks push for an NFC West title.
Dugar adds that two other cornerbacks on Seattle’s roster, Nehemiah Pritchett and Derion Kendrick, will factor into the decision as well. “There’s a scenario in which Seattle would choose between Jobe and Woolen, then re-sign Kendrick on a near-minimum contract (Jobe re-signed on a $2 million deal last year) as a potential replacement for the other,” he writes.
A few weeks ago, Woolen seemed all but gone. He was embroiled in trade speculation early in the season due to poor play. However, he’s performed much better over the last few weeks, making a possible decision between him and Jobe more difficult for Seattle.
ESPN’s Matt Miller sees the future crossroads too, especially if Seattle pursues a cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft. He writes, “Devon Witherspoon is a star at one corner spot, but Cisse would balance out the secondary opposite him, especially with Riq Woolen set to become an unrestricted free agent.”
