Boston: Following Sunday night’s 40-point victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics lauded Oshae Brissett’s efforts, calling him one of the team’s finest, if not the best, offensive rebounders.
Because of his dedication to producing these hustle plays anytime he’s on the court, Brissett has been able to establish a more reliable role for himself in the middle third of the season.
Brissett didn’t play much during the first 23 games. During that period, he recorded 14 DNPs, 11 of which came in a stretch of 14 games.
But as he’s become more comfortable in his role, Brissett has only recorded three DNPs and one injury absence in the last 27 games.
Brissett has been an excellent addition to the offensive glass, as Mazzulla noted. With an offensive rebounding percentage of 8.6%, he more than doubles the team’s average for non-big players. With 4.2 percent, Payton Pritchard is the next closest.
In 16 out of his last 20 games, including nine of the previous 10, the 6-foot-7 wing had at least one offensive rebound. Considering that he has played less than 10 minutes in nine of the 20 games, that is quite an accomplishment.
Brissett has contributed to the Celtics’ improvement as a team, which saw them go from 20th in the league in offensive rebounds per game the previous season to a tie for 10th this one.
With that being said, Brissett is starting to become more than just a hustle-play guy, as Mazzulla noted at Tuesday’s practice.
“He’s grown over the last week and a half in the recognition of offense, of matchup recognition, of how to impact our offense,” Mazzulla said. “The hard thing about him is he’s always playing with different lineups. Sometimes he plays with Luke (Kornet), sometimes he plays with Al (Horford), sometimes he plays with [Kristaps Porzingis]. But he’s done a great job of offensive rebounding. He’s done a great job of special awareness. He’s done a great job of executing our coverages defensively, and he always gives us a boost when he plays.”
Brissett has also given them a boost in terms of his scoring efficiency. Since Nov. 11, he has shot 52.6 percent from the field, including 35.7 percent from 3-point range. Prior to this season, his career field-goal percentage had been 41.2 percent.
“I just have to shoot it with confidence; that’s what Joe’s been telling me since the summertime,” Brissett said recently. “That’s something that started really in the summer when we went over our roles and how he views me as a player. Just going out there and doing what they want me to do. The reason they signed me was to rebound, defend, knock down open threes, and just be confident playing the game of basketball. So, that’s something we talk about a lot … It feels good having a coach that believes in me.”
Brissett’s role has fluctuated during the season, but Mazzulla has always had faith in him. The coach emphasized that a big factor in their victory in the home opener against Miami was Brissett’s enthusiasm, as he pulled down three offensive rebounds in just 14 minutes.
Mazzulla remarked, “He’s done a great job of winning the coaches’ and players’ trust, as well as just making winning plays.”
