Joe Mazzulla has only been head coach of the Celtics for 15 gamers, but apparently they've seen enough to award him a long-term deal.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on TV Wednesday the Celtics are ready to commit to Mazzulla. "Everything is aligned and in place for Joe Mazzulla to be the long-term coach for the Boston Celtics, except for one thing: Ime Udoka is technically still the head coach of the Boston Celtics on suspension," said Woj. "But for all intents and purposes, [Udoka] has coached his last game in Boston. This is uncharted territory, certainly."
The Celtics suspended Udoka for one season due to an intimate relationship with a female subordinate. They've been opaque about whether they intend to reinstate Udoka once his suspension is over.
The Nets were reportedly close to hiring Udoka for their coaching vacancy, but decided against it. The Celtics were prepared to let him leave without compensation, another indication they're ready to move on.
"There is every indication that [with] Joe Mazzulla, that interim status will eventually leave and he'll be on a long-term deal as Celtics coach," said Wojnarowski. "But it may not be until after the season."
While Woj's reporting on the Udoka story has been questionable, it's hard to dispute Mazzulla's success so far. The Celtics own the NBA's best record at 12-3.
These are challenging circumstances, and Mazzulla has navigated them brilliantly.
