As Joe Mazzulla begins Celtics’ second playoff series, his opponent knows the experience well

Erik Spoelstra drew laughs when he answered a question about his progress from his first playoff series to his second.

Spoelstra, 51, shouldn’t have had so much trouble remembering because he’s not that old, he joked.

“People think the first playoff run with our coaching staff was with the Big 3,” Spoelstra said. ” This was not the case. We made two playoffs before that, but we got knocked out in the first round, so people didn’t really pay attention to that.

The Celtics attracted a lot of attention last year during Joe Mazzulla’s first playoff run last year. All eyes are on Boston this year as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Spoelstra said coaching in an organization with championship expectations significantly shortens the learning curve for a head coach.

“Joe is a very caring coach,” Spoelstra said. “He spends a lot of time on it. He was a very good assistant coach, so he was well prepared to go down this path. If you come into an organization where there are high expectations, you learn and do things probably five times faster than other places because you have those playoff experiences and expectations. It’s the best way to learn.

Spoelstra said his team enters the series with respect for what the Celtics have accomplished, but without fear. He downplayed the match between him and Mazzulla.

“It’s not really going to be about us,” Spoelstra said. “But he’s a very good coach and they had a very productive season this year. They have improved in all areas. We must respect what they did.

“Their record was what their record was and the point differential and all the records they were breaking during the regular season, you have to respect that. You can’t be afraid either. You have to get into the competition and the way we see it depends on who you’re going to play, when you’re going to play, it’s going to be tough in the playoffs.

The role of the beginner

Jimmy Butler is out for at least Game 1 of the Celtics’ first-round series against the Heat due to a sprained MCL.

Replacing Butler’s production will be a daunting task for Miami. He is tied with Tyler Herro for the team in the lead with 20.8 points per game. Butler also leads the Heat in assists (5.0) and is third on the team in rebounds (5.3).

He had several big playoff performances against the Celtics, including a 47-point explosion at TD Garden in Game 6 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals and 35 points in Game 7 last year.

With Butler out, rookie forward Jaime Jáquez Jr. could see an expanded role in this series.

“It obviously gives him power,” Mazzulla said. “He has the innate ability to influence the game in different ways, whether it be in transitions, rebounds, sharp plays, then handling the pick and roll and making decisions has been a big factor in their team So he will definitely be at the center of what they are trying to do.

Injury update

Luc Kornet was the only player listed on the Celtics injury report. He missed the first game with a calf strain. Mazzulla said he didn’t know how long Kornet would miss.

“During drills, he was just a little tight,” Mazzulla said. “I think we’re going to re-evaluate it every couple of days. He’s been doing some non-contact stuff, so we’ll see where he is every other day, week to week.

Ancient Celtic Terry Rozier missed the first game with a neck injury. Spoelstra said he had no further updates on Rozier’s status and that the team would continue to treat him on a day-to-day basis.