It’s been a wild 2022-23 for Joe Mazzulla. After being named named the interim head coach of the Celtics less than a week before training camp, Mazzulla led the team to the NBA’s best record at All-Star break — making him the head coach of Team Giannis at the All-Star Game — had the interim tag removed and signed a multi-year contract extension.
The NBA regular season concluded on Sunday, with the Celtics finishing 57-25 — the most wins in a season for the team since 2008-09. The 57 wins are also the second-most in team history by a rookie head coach, trailing only Bill Russell’s 60.
Brad Stevens took a chance on the 34-year old Mazzulla, whose only head coaching experience prior to the Celtics was at Division II Fairmont State, and it has paid off.
“He’s an exceptionally sharp and talented person,” Boston’s President of Basketball Ops said when he introduced Mazzulla as the interim head coach. “I believe strongly in him and his ability to lead people, his ability to galvanize a room and get behind them, and his ability to organize and understand all that comes with running a team during a season.”
Stevens echoed a similar sentiment on Sunday when reflecting on his rookie head coach’s season.
“He was going to be really good, that’s been pretty obvious for a long time,” Stevens said. “He wants to grow, he wants to improve, he demands that of the team.”
Not only did Mazzulla lead the Celtics to a top-three offensive and defensive season (the only team to be top three in both in the NBA), but he also did a great job managing the personalities and egos on the team. For a team that was transitioning to their third coach in three years, under very unique circumstances and with such high expectations, it was important the Celtics found a coach that could manage all that. Mazzulla has done just that.
“We’ve got a great young coach in Joe that’s managed us well,” Malcolm Brogdon said recently. “There are a lot of egos, even on a team full of good guys there is ego, and I think Joe has managed it well, and we’ve bought into Joe being our coach.”
Mazzulla has brought a different style of basketball to Boston, specifically on the offensive end, and the players have bought into it. More importantly, the team has bought into his message. A great example of this is when the Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets 140-105 back on November 29, when Jayson Tatum gave us a little insight into Mazzulla’s sandcastle metaphor.
“Every time we come to film, he shows this video or picture of a sandcastle, and the metaphor of you can build the best sandcastle on vacation, and when the tide comes up, it’s going to wash it away,” Tatum said. “Basically, today was a good game, we won, but when we go into film tomorrow or Friday, we gotta build another sandcastle.”
Both Tatum and Marcus Smart admitted the metaphor was a little cheesy, but they each credited Mazzulla for not letting the team get complacent.
But, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Mazzulla when it comes to people buying into his game plan and message. Mazzulla has been scrutinized often for his coaching philosophies throughout the season, specifically his unique timeout strategy.
“Joe is a strength. He’s done a really good job,” Stevens said on Sunday. “I understand because he is new, the easiest thing to do is nitpick him, but he’s done a really good job.”
One of the big storylines for the Celtics this postseason will be how Mazzulla coaches in the playoffs. Stevens voiced his trust in his rookie head coach multiple times Sunday, calling him a “strength.”
“If he needs me, I’m here, but I trust him, and I trust his staff” Stevens said, “I think our players would all second that.”