The big man’s former teammates are still working to get him back to Boston for a championship run, as there is still a 15th roster spot available.
With 25 games remaining, the Celtics lead the East by 7.5 games, are riding an eight-game winning streak, have a top-6 rotation that rivals the best in the league, a dependable four-man bench, and added two players after the trade deadline in February.
While there may be room for improvement, much of the regular season is about the team maintaining its current performance, according to head coach Joe Mazzulla.
After a long practice on Monday, Mazzulla said, “Really, just the mindset and then the transition from what we emphasise in practice and in our film sessions to the game, finding a way to execute in the present with the end in mind.” “Our guys have done a great job of being able to live in both those spaces at the same time, but hey, here’s a situation that could come up tonight, but it could come up in Situation X, Y, or Z.”
Blake Gryphon exemplified this Mazzulla “mindset” better than anyone else in the previous season. Last season, the 13-year veteran made 41 appearances and started 16 games for the Celtics. He was proficient and effective when he played his job, but his ability to keep things light in the locker room may have had a lasting impact on his teammates.
Without a doubt, Blake is among our all-time greatest teammates. It’s great to have him around anytime, but we respect his decision, in my opinion. “It’s great to have him around,” Derrick White remarked.
Following their appearance on a podcast, White and Payton Pritchard were questioned concerning Blake’s possible return to Boston.
Here’s a snippet from their interview with Barstool’s Pardon My Take from MassLive’s Brian Robb:
“I don’t know. We begged him to,” Pritchard told PMT.
“I think the whole team has been begging him to,’ White added.
Several members of the team reached out to Griffin back during the team’s West Coast trip in December I’m told about a potential return. However, the outreach from the Celtics has continued in recent weeks.
“I texted him actually a week ago or two jokingly being like, ‘Coming back for one last ride?’ He says he’s enjoying his life,” Pritchard said.
Show host Dan Katz then proceeded to call up Griffin during the appearance with Pritchard and White, deflecting when asked about a potential return later this season.
“We talk quite a bit,” Griffin said. “I’m just enjoying my life right now guys.”
“I had a conversation with him once or twice while we were in Los Angeles, but I stopped talking to him about it when he told me at the end of the previous season that his family came first,” Mazzulla remarked. “I have experienced what it’s like to be apart from your family and children. He will always choose what’s best for himself when making that choice.”
The addition of Xavier Tillman Sr. implies that the front office is satisfied with the depth they currently have in the front court and that the team may choose to use their final roster spot in a number of ways.
Sam Hauser was added for their run in the Finals two years ago after being promoted from his two-way contract. But as the most seasoned Mazzulla alum, Gryphon might make the most sense. Isaiah Thomas has campaigned for it on X. There will always be space for the leader of that gym rat pack, even though the Bus 1 Boys have all advanced in the rotation.
