What's next for the Celtics after another season ends short of a title?

BOSTON -- Another Celtics season is over without a new banner to add to the TD Garden rafters, and this one is going to sting for a while. 

After spending much of the season as title favorites, the Celtics were sent to the offseason after a Game 7 dud against the Miami Heat at TD Garden on Monday night. Boston couldn't complete its quest for NBA history, coming up short of pulling off a comeback from being down 3-0 to the Heat. After winning three straight to flirt with the record books, the C's were completely blown out by the Heat.

Now we're all left to lick the wounds and wonder what's next for the Celtics. Brad Stevens is either going to have a lot of work to do this offseason, or he can choose to stay the course and make some small adjustments here and there.

Here's what is on the offseason plate for Boston's president of basketball op.:

Is Mazzulla the right guy?

Joe Mazzulla was thrust into an impossible position last September, tasked with taking over a team with championship aspirations after its head coach was shockingly suspended. Ime Udoka got the C's to the Finals in his first (and only) season on the bench, which were some lofty shoes for Mazzulla to fill with his zero head coaching experience in the NBA. Udoka didn't have experience as a head coach either, but at least he spent years on NBA benches as an assistant.

Mazzulla wasn't even given an offseason to prepare for his new role. Heck, he barely got a weekend, with Udoka's suspension announced just days ahead of training camp. Mazzulla was already behind the eight-ball, and matters were compacted by the fact that Will Hardy -- Udoka's top assistant -- had left for the head coaching job in Utah.

For the first two months of the season, it didn't seem to matter. The Celtics raced out to a 21-5 start to the season as Mazzulla learned his way. The 34-year-old took his lumps and had plenty of growing pains throughout the season, but the Celtics still won 57 games. 

But something was different. Instead of the defensive-minded approach that got the Celtics to the Finals last season, Mazz had them focus on offense. Mainly, launching a truckload of 3-pointers. It was great when those three-balls went in, but frustrating when they didn't.

In the end, that's what sunk the Celtics in Game 7 against the Heat. Their 3's weren't dropping, and they got blown out on their home court.

Mazzulla did show some growth throughout the playoffs, considering he started calling timeouts when timeouts were needed. But he was so brash about his ways before making that adjustment that he came off as overly headstrong and combative. His way was the only way, it seemed.

That carried into his Game 7 postgame press conference, when Mazzulla was asked whether or not his team was too reliant on 3-pointers. He fired back with a simple, "No."

He may want to check the game tape from Games 6 and 7 against the Heat. The Celtics were brutal from downtown in both of those games, and it led to a near-collapse in Game 6 and a total collapse in Game 7. Maybe Mazzulla will understand how important some defensive focus is after the dust has settled from Game 7.

And if not, he can ask Malcolm Brogdon, who pinpointed the team's defensive identity -- or lack thereof -- as the biggest issue throughout the season.

"I think this was a team last year that prided itself on defense. Defense was their calling card. This year, offense was our calling card, and I don't think you win championships with a better offense than you have a defense," Brogdon said after Game 7.  

For Stevens, he has to determine if Mazzulla is the right guy to lead this team or if the Celtics would be better off with a new coach for the fourth straight season. Monty Williams and Mike Budenholzer are still out there, and either would be a huge hiring for Boston.

If Stevens does decide to keep Mazzulla, he needs to go out and get him a supporting staff with some head-coaching experience. Mazz was on an island for most of the season, especially after Damon Stoudamire left midway through for a head-coaching gig of his own.

Maybe Mazzulla will eventually grow into an excellent head coach. But the Celtics are in win-now mode, and need a win-now coach. After one season on the bench, it doesn't seem like Mazzulla is that guy.

Do the Celtics give Jaylen Brown his bag?

The biggest roster decision that Stevens has to make is whether or not he wants to give Jaylen Brown a five-year extension worth upwards of $295 million. If Game 7 was the first and only game you'd ever seen Jaylen Brown play, that decision would seem to be an easy one.

When Jayson Tatum hurt his ankle on the first play of the game Monday night, it was clear that Brown had to step up and take over as Boston's best player. He did not. He was the opposite in fact, and in many ways was the worst player on the floor.

Brown forced shots throughout the game, including several threes when driving to the basket would have been a better move. He finished the night 8-for-23, including a woeful 1-for-9 from 3-point land. He made some truly terrible decisions with the ball in his hand and turned it over eight times. 

Brown stunk on Monday, and he knew it. He took all the blame for the loss, saying he "failed" a number of times. He had no desire to talk about his future contract situation in the moments after the defeat. 

"That's all I can think about at this moment," he said of the loss and his performance. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"There" will be here soon enough though, and the Celtics have a decision to make. Tatum will be eligible for a five-year, $318 million extension after next season, and giving both Tatum and Brown a max extension would bring a massive luxury tax bill for Boston. They are young and talented enough to make it worth it, but do the Celtics still think that way after Brown's performance in Game 7?

The Celtics should give Brown his extension, because where else can they really go? Trading Brown would bring back pennies on the dollar. Some are shouting to trade Jaylen for an older star, but that star will be making even more than Brown and will likely be on the back nine of their career. A move like that would close Boston's title window a little more, not extend it.

The best move is to pay Jaylen, and give the Tatum-Brown core another year or two. Even on a max deal, Brown would still be an enticing trade asset. That's not to say other moves shouldn't be made on the roster this summer, but this young core remains Boston's best bet at a title.

Does Stevens tinker with the roster?

The Celtics are pretty set roster-wise, with the majority of the team locked in for next year and beyond. 

Grant Williams is heading toward restricted free agency, and will likely still get a hefty offer from another team. The Celtics will have the chance to match that deal, but will probably pass if it gets too rich. Williams wasn't part of Mazzulla's everyday rotation for the majority of the end of the season, and Danilo Gallinari's return is likely on the back of Stevens' mind when it comes to dealing with Grant.

Payton Pritchard was also buried on the Boston bench, and with a year left before he hits restricted free agency he'll likely request a trade so he can get more playing time. The Celtics also have a player option on Mike Muscala, and Blake Griffin is a free agent.

But after coming up short of the Finals a year after coming up short of a title, will Stevens decide it's time to shake things up a bit? He is seen as the heart and soul of the team, but could Stevens deal away Marcus Smart to really rattle the cages and change the team's identity? Perhaps he could potentially try to package Smart with Robert Williams for a legit big? Williams can be a legit big and an absolute game-changer for the C's, but he's seemingly always hurt and inconsistent. Both he and Smart are signed for three more seasons at very reasonable numbers, and may be able to get the Celtics a very solid player in return.

Tatum and Brown should be the pillars of this team, at least for a few more years, but Stevens may want to change the cast around those two stars after another disappointing finish. While the Celtics have a very good collection of talent up and down the roster, it hasn't led them to the ultimate prize. Trimming around the edges wouldn't represent a massive shakeup, but Stevens may look to do something to change the identity of the team.