Joe Mazzulla has preached the importance of having the correct mindset frequently throughout training camp. The second-year bench boss has noted he wants his team to play tough, physical, and with intensity.
So far, they have done just that. The intensity of the practices at the Auerbach Center has been prominent from day one. The new-look Celtics entered training camp with a serious approach and have maintained that approach as we near the end of camp.
“Practice has been hard as s—, I ain’t going to lie,” Jayson Tatum said following Tuesday night’s win over the New York Knicks in Boston’s penultimate preseason game. “A couple of two-a-days, but it’s been good. We’ve been working hard… There is just a freshness about this season.”
Mazzulla has looked much more comfortable in year two. The then-34-year-old was thrown into the fire last year, as he was named the replacement to Ime Udoka just five days before training camp was scheduled to start.
Given the timing, Mazzulla didn’t have time to make changes. Mazzulla inherited Udoka’s staff and didn’t really get a chance to implement his ideas and philosophies early on regarding the team’s approach.
“I honestly don’t remember much about the beginning of last year, Mazzulla said Tuesday. “It happened so fast.
Now, as he kicks off his second season, Mazzulla has had the opportunity to build his own coaching staff and leave his imprint on the team, and he has taken control of the situation.
“I give Joe a lot of credit,” Jayson Tatum said. “I’ve seen the growth. Not that he didn’t do a great job last year, but he just had more time to prepare. He was able to get a staff that he felt supported him in the best way and he’s helped change the culture in a lot of ways honestly.”
From applying his new philosophies to reinstalling the ones that helped Boston raise a banner in 2008, Mazzulla is leaving his mark on the team’s culture, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“I feel like he’s had a huge imprint on how he wants things to be,” said Tatum. “How he wants practice, the environment, the vibe to be, and we’ve all bought in. Joe has done a great job of taking charge of doing things the way he wants it to go. It’s his team, he’s the coach, and it’s been really cool to see that.”
Mazzulla’s confidence and comfortability in year two have been apparent and will go a long way in managing the sky-high expectations surrounding his team this season.
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