Wyc Grousbeck wasn’t letting the Celtics run it back after loss to Heat

Boston Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck recently shared some insight in regards to how the team’s seismic offseason came to be. During an appearance on WCVB, he revealed that he told both Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens that something had to change, after Boston lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals at home.

“I walked in and met with Joe and Brad, and I just said, ‘I know one thing: we’re not bringing this team back.’ It was two years in a row of two really good teams that just fell short,” Grousbeck told Duke Castiglione.

Grousbeck explained that he felt as if the Cs had been inconsistent over the span of two seasons, despite their prominent success. It was time for the roster to change, the team couldn’t run it back again.

“In my view, they were inconsistent. We were hot and cold, high and low, and we lost. We lost to two good teams, the Warriors and the Heat. But we lost. I just said ‘We’re not bringing it back, we’re not running it back. Period. That’s my decision, now you tell me what changes we ought to make guys. Let’s do it together.’ I wanted their recommendations. Did I know we were gonna get (Kristaps) Porzingis and (Jrue) Holiday? No, I did not. Is that the genius of Brad? Yes. Brad is unbelievable and deserves all the credit in the world.”

It’s a good thing that Grousbeck decided he’d seen enough. Though it was difficult at the time, trading Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis has proven to be a massive move from Stevens. The big man has added so much to a Celtics team that desperately needed another weapon on the offensive end.

Porzingis’ seven-foot-four frame makes him a fantastic presence from the paint and he’s a nightmare for opposing defenses out of the low post. He leads the NBA in points per post-up for players who post up more than once per game. On top of that, he’s been a consistent threat from long-range, knocking down 37% of his three-point attempts.

Holiday has been just as important. The veteran guard has come into a Celtics team that doesn’t ask a whole lot out of him offensively and posted some of his most efficient numbers as a pro. Holiday is shooting a career-high 44.3% from beyond the arc all while taking the least shots since his rookie season. Not to mention that he’s brought a five-time All-Defensive presence to give opposing offenses headaches.