Meet the five unsung coaches of the Celtics’ player development staff

TD Garden opens its doors to media three hours before tip-off. The stands are empty, most of the top stars aren’t in the building, and PA announcer Eddie Palladino is just arriving to set up his station.

That’s when the G League guys are working. JD Davison, Drew Peterson, Jordan Walsh, Jaden Springer, and Neemias Queta are getting after it. Small games of five-on-five half-court drills get fierce as they push themselves to outwork the coaching staff.

Boston’s “stay-ready crew” gets their shots up next. Svi Mykhailiuk, Oshae Brissett, and Xavier Tillman jump on the court. They fight to score on all the coaches in front of them, occasionally calling out guys from the bench they want to go toe-to-toe with. Once again, competition spawns out of tedious workouts.

From there, Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, and Payton Pritchard get their turn, and the top six come after.

The one constant throughout all the sessions? The player development coaches.

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Simple routines turn into contests between players and coaches. Springer’s corner threes earn him a point for every make, but Coach Tyler Lashbrook gets a point for every miss. The same goes for Coach Ross McMains’ session with Mykhailiuk and Tillman’s battle with Coach Jermaine Bucknor.

These coaches whom the players have become so familiar with because of their dedication and assistance are working unbeknownst to the general public. Faces the fanbase don’t get to appreciate have been laying the groundwork for the Boston Celtics’ success.

“I think it’s a testament to what we’re building and what we’re creating,” Joe Mazzulla said after winning Coach of the Month in December of 2023. “And so, it’s just a testament to the staff. I wish they would change it to Staff for the Month because I’m not doing it by myself.”

Fans know Mazzulla. The former Celtics assistant himself was thrust into the spotlight ahead of the 2021-22 season and is now leading one of the best teams in the NBA.

Some of the assistants are household names, too: Charles Lee, a highly-regarded assistant coach who just accepted the Charlotte Hornets head coaching position; Sam Cassell, a long-time NBA player who won a title in Boston and is now a top candidate to be the Los Angeles Lakers head coach; and Matt Reynold, who has garnered some well-deserved attention this season as the team’s resident coach’s challenge specialist.

But that leaves a long list of unheralded assistants — coaches who put in hours upon hours of work behind the scenes with little to no recognition. But they do more than give their all to the Celtics organization. They also bring five different perspectives to the coach’s room thanks to their incredible journeys.

Jermaine Bucknor: A German league legend whose compassion stands above all else

Craig Luschenat: A local product who climbed Boston’s ranks with hard work and meticulous coaching

Phil Pressey: Back in Boston, a genuine personality and tireless effort kept him moving up

Tyler Lashbrook: From high school to blogging to the NBA

Ross McMains: Worldwide perspective collides with an eternal joy

Justin Turpin | WEEI

Player development coaches do everything.

Hours before tip-off, they’re grabbing rebounds, going over film, and running drills with players who may not even get their numbers called that night. And on off-days, they’re perpetually available to put extra work in.

“Those assistant coaches, player development coaches, special assistants, those guys don’t get enough credit for how an organization really runs,” said former Celtic Jared Sullinger. “Because without those guys, there is no head coach.”

The Celtics have built a team of coaches with vastly different life experiences, allowing them to rely on a wide variety of unique philosophies.

“You just got to create an environment where, like, we all get to the same page, but you got to do it through each guy fighting for what he believes in,” said Mazzulla. “And so, whether it’s a team meeting or a coaches meeting, everyone works really, really hard. So, you got to have beliefs, you got to have systems, you got to have things that you think are the best, and we got to come to that together.

“So, our player development staff, our staff in general, is extremely passionate about what they believe in, and [they] work their a**** off studying the game. And studying, [and] teaching, and developing, and decision-making. And so, there [are] always different ways to do it. And so, we just create an environment to where everyone has a say, to create that ownership, and then we just execute it together.”

Fans don’t get a chance to appreciate everything these coaches do.

“There are a lot of things that those guys do that fly under the radar that don’t get a lot of credit just because people usually always interview the head coach,” said Sullinger. “But those assistant coaches, it’s their scouting reports, too. It’s their input on the game, too.”

But the organization knows.

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“The guys on staff, the assistant coaches to Joe, [and] the people in the front office, they know how important those roles are,” said former Celtics assistant and current Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry. “But it takes a special person that isn’t looking for credit, that just wants to give back to the game and give back to the guys that he’s tasked with working with.”

Bucknor has a legendary career in Germany under his belt.

Luschenat brings an incessant work ethic and continuous availability.

Pressey’s NBA experience and genuine warmth make him indispensable.

Lashbrook’s unlikely climb up the ranks helps him grind as hard as anyone in the business.

McMains’ genius basketball brain and perpetual bliss forge an essential puzzle piece.

Combined with the relentless and unselfish work of the entire staff, the player development group is the foundation of the entire Celtics organization.