Joe Mazzulla
One last push for Mazzulla and the 'Green of Boston'
The recent tragic death of Hollywood star Johnny Wactor was devastating news. While I knew little about Wactor's life and career, his youth and mastery of his craft reminded me of someone else making noise in a different space: Joe Mazzulla, the 35-year-old head coach of the championship-seeking Boston Celtics. Despite his young age and relative lack of coaching experience, Mazzulla has already achieved remarkable success, confounding many who doubted his readiness for such a high-profile coaching role.
Mazzulla grew up in Rhode Island, America's smallest state, which neatly fits his personality and how people view him.
Unlike Tasmania, Rhode Island isn't detached from mainland America; still, to many, it might as well be.
In Australian Rules Football, players from the island state of Tasmania often face unfair biases and receive less recognition than their counterparts from the mainland, despite their talent. It's just a blinkered bias. You could blame geography and ignorance. I believe Mazzulla affords the same prejudice.
SpeakingNick is supported by your subscriptions. I thank you sincerely and if you are still a free subscriber, please, if you can, consider subscribing. Thank you.
Father Dan was also a basketball coach and a heavy influencer in Joe's formative years—he was a lot more than just a basketball motivator. Ultimately, it would be Dan's core values that Joe carried forward into his playing college career and then when he transitioned from player to coach, first at the college level and then into the pro ranks. Dan's guiding hand is still firmly planted on Joe's shoulder.
Joe attended Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, RI, where he built a standout basketball career, making all-state first team and he played in three state championships, the last courtesy of a Mazzulla buzzer-beating bucket. Many savvy pundits commented on Mazzulla's off-the-charts basketball IQ throughout his high school career.
From there, Mazzulla went to West Virginia University. He helped the team win the 2007 National Invitation Tournament and played a crucial role in an upset of Duke in the 2008 NCAA tournament. Despite a debilitating shoulder injury, he returned and led West Virginia to the 2010 Final Four, finishing his college career with 700 points and 340 assists. The injury caused him to red-shirt for a season and hindered his playing aspirations. After a thumping loss to OCK as the Celtics interim coach, he said, "You gotta go through some sh#t if you want to get to where you want to get to." Mazzulla has always been okay with the hard yards.
To where he is now, the journey has been rapid. There was some college coaching as an assistant, then as a Head Coach, and finally to the Celtics as an assistant. In the game of coaching, timing is everything; often, there is no way of controlling your entry and exit points. The timing afforded to Mazzulla, in my opinion, has been impeccable. You could attribute that to luck or, more rationally, his ethics and faith.
Since 2021, the Celtics had undergone significant disturbance in their coaching ranks. After eight seasons leading the team, Brad Stevens stepped down as head coach in 2021 to take on a front-office role, citing the grind of coaching as the primary reason. His replacement, Ime Udoka, was anointed as the team's saviour, the calm hand to piece together their disjointed roster. It lasted just one tumultuous season, marred by stories of an inappropriate relationship that led to a season-long suspension. All the time, Joe Mazzulla was chipping away at the cornerstone, trying to get better, day by day.
Ironically, after the Udoka hire, Joe Mazzulla was retained based on positive player and staff recommendations. A revered Hollywood actress once said, "I'm such a profound believer that timing is everything; I would tattoo that on my arm." I bet Joe Mazzulla never gets inked, even after a Championship ring.
With few options, the Celtics punted on Mazzulla. The turnaround was remarkable, with the interim coach guiding the Celtics to the NBA Finals and posting historic win totals in his first season in charge. The meteoric rise was a testament to the Celtics' trust in him and his fearless conviction in his methods.
As we fast-forward to the 2023-24 season and with Mazzulla installed as Head Coach, more of the same has followed. This time, with time and resources to plan out the season, Mazzulla and his Celtics have hardly missed a beat.
The more I read and observe Joe Mazzulla, the more it seems his preference was a KISS principle: Keep it simple. I prefer to drop the 'stupid'. That shift was beautifully manageable. First, shift training and scrimmaging methods from an individual bent to a team first orientation. Then, as the body of work mounts, work the pivot to a team first basketball into games. The definitive test has been in the Celtics playoff run; it's not been without bumps, and this is to be expected. However, the green of Boston has made it through; for Mazzulla and his team, it will be a matter of holding it together for one last run.
What challenges will Mazzulla face in the Championship series against Dallas?
Mazzulla must devise a game plan to contain the Mavericks' potent offensive line led by Luka Doncic. Dallas's ability to space the floor and move the ball could pose problems for Boston's reluctance defence. Additionally, Mazzulla will want a more sustained presence in the defensive paint.
However, if I were Joe Mazzulla, I would focus on inward-facing troubleshooting. His team has the firepower to withstand the on-court pressures that Dallas will bring. Crucially, Mazzulla must continue to verbally and physically entrust his methods and the players he asks to play the roles. At this level of competition, the coach has to know and understand his position in these series, and he might only have two or three opportunities a night to influence a game seriously. The rest will be down to the players.
I like his presence courtside. Mazzulla has the look of a junkyard dog, quietly prowling, surveying the landscape, waiting for his opportunity to strike, to feed the belly. Yet, we know he has a heart full of faith. I am confident Joe Mazzulla would always crack his bread with whoever, whenever.
The Celtics have been underdogs in their last four championship finals, dating back to 1986.
2024 seems them installed as favourites. The spotlight will shine brightly on Jayson Tatum and co, and yes, to a lesser extent, Joe Mazzulla.
If the Celtics prevail, Joe Mazzulla's record will stand at 125 wins from approximately 170 games, with a Championship ring.
He is ready to silence the coaching orthodoxy.
Ps. That’s green for the Celtics!