HR 1 - Rich, Ken and Ted react to the Celtics' collapse

The WEEI Afternoons team—Rich, Ken, and Ted Johnson—reacted intensely to the Boston Celtics' Game 7 collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers, dissecting the fallout from a series of controversial decisions and performances. The episode opened with shock over Joe Mazzulla’s bizarre starting lineup, which featured unproven bench players like Luka Garza and Ron Harper Jr., leading to a disastrous 17-6 start. The hosts criticized Mazzulla’s rigid adherence to a three-point-heavy system despite poor shooting, calling it a failure of in-game adjustment and a sign of deeper philosophical flaws. They questioned whether Mazzulla’s 'Zen Master' persona masked a lack of coaching acumen, especially after historic collapses in the Knicks and 76ers series. The discussion then turned to Jalen Brown’s postgame Twitch stream, where he criticized Joel Embiid for flopping—a move deemed tone-deaf and self-serving given the timing. While acknowledging flopping is a league-wide issue, the hosts agreed Brown’s timing undermined his credibility. The most controversial moment came with Jason Tatum’s postgame behavior: his jovial interaction with Embiid after a crushing loss was seen as disrespectful to fans and the franchise’s legacy. The hosts debated whether Tatum’s absence was medically justified or a strategic misstep, with some suggesting he prioritized long-term health over a championship run. Ultimately, the consensus was that the Celtics’ culture, identity, and leadership—both on and off the court—were in crisis, with calls for a tougher, more combative presence like Draymond Green to balance the team’s softness.