Tyler Lashbrook

Phil Pressey To Coach Celtics’ G League Team

Former NBA guard Phil Pressey will be named the head coach of the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Pressey, 34, played college ball at Missouri from 2010-13 and then signed with the Celtics after going undrafted. He appeared in 125 regular season games across two seasons for Boston before spending time with the Sixers and Suns in 2015/16. From 2016-22, he competed in the G League and in various leagues in Spain, Turkey, and Germany.

Pressey averaged 3.2 points and 2.9 assists in 13.6 minutes per game across 148 total NBA appearances, with a .341/.254/.630 shooting line.

A year after ending his playing career, Pressey rejoined the Celtics in 2023 as a player enhancement coach under Joe Mazzulla. He has spent the past two seasons in that role.

Pressey will be replacing Tyler Lashbrook, who was Maine’s head coach in 2024/25 after spending the previous season in Boston as a player development coach. It’s unclear whether Lashbrook will be rejoining the Celtics’ NBA staff or leaving the team for a new opportunity, but he did well in Maine this past season, leading the G League squad to a 21-13 regular season record and an appearance in the NBAGL’s Eastern Conference Finals.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Mavs, Camp Questions, Maine Staff

Appearing on “The Tonight Show” to promote his children’s book, Celtics star Jayson Tatum made a few predictions about the upcoming season, as Max Molski of NBC Sports Boston relays. Notably, Tatum picked himself to win MVP, and said he thinks the Celtics will return to the NBA Finals again in 2025.

It’s gonna be a rematch. We’re gonna play Dallas again,” Tatum said.

Boston claimed its 18th championship by defeating the Mavericks in the 2024 Finals. Jaylen Brown was voted Finals MVP.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • With an early training camp set to open in under two weeks, Jared Weiss of The Athletic lists five questions facing the defending champions entering 2024/25, including how Tatum and Brown will respond to some minor controversies with Team USA this summer. Weiss also wonders which young players will crack the rotation this season, with Jaden Springer and Baylor Scheierman looking like the top contenders entering camp.
  • Former Wizards player development coach Landon Tatum has joined Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, as an assistant coach, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Tatum had been with Washington since 2016, Scotto notes.
  • Tatum’s hiring was confirmed in a press release from the Maine Celtics announcing the team’s coaching staff for ’24/25. Tyler Lashbrook, who was a player development assistant on Joe Mazzulla‘s staff last season, has been named Maine’s head coach. “Tyler is a great coach who excels in relationship management and communication,” said Mazzulla. “Last season he led our late game situational prep and took the lead on developing some of our younger players. I am excited for Tyler to have this opportunity to grow as a coach and leader, and to impact the Maine team and community.” Assistant Steve Tchiengang has been promoted to Maine’s associate head coach, while Taaj Ridley is also back for a second season. Tatum and Brendan Baker are the team’s new assistants, per the release.