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The Boston Celtics head into All-Star Weekend with the best record in the NBA and a six-game cushion in the Eastern Conference. They added two players at the trade deadline, including 6-foot-8 center/forward Xavier Tillman, who filled one of the team’s biggest needs — frontcourt depth.
Before the season, Celtics president Brad Stevens brought in veterans Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, giving Boston arguably the best starting five in the league. The team has had very few bumps in the road as it looks to make a return trip to the NBA Finals. The Celtics seemingly have everything in place to make a strong run at their first championship since 2008. They have size, speed, shooting, rebounding, and defense. Do they have coaching? Is Joe Mazzulla the biggest concern for the Celtics as they head down the stretch?
Joe Mazzulla Takes Plenty of Heat for a First-Place Celtics Team
Mazzulla is no stranger to criticism. The second-year coach is often blamed for not calling timeouts at the appropriate time or allowing his team to jack up 3-point shots all night instead of taking the ball to the hole. Still, the Celtics entered their game with the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, February 14, with a 42-12 record.
Mazzulla has been the team’s punching bag whenever they lose. If Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combine to go 3-for-25 from long range, it’s Mazzulla’s fault for letting them take so many shots. Could Mazzulla be the guy who prevents the Celtics from hoisting Banner 18? That topic came up during the “Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman Podcast.”
Podcast host Gary Tanguay said it’s just a “feeling,” but he believes Mazzulla has things figured out and can be the guy who can coach the Celtics to a championship.
“I hope you’re right,” Goodman said. “Until the playoffs, you don’t know. Joe Mazzulla is going to be judged squarely on how they do in the playoffs. You can win a million games in the regular season.
“I compare it a little to John Calipari. Kentucky can win every regular-season game, but if they lose in the NCAA Tournament in the first round, maybe even the second round again, the fans at Kentucky are going to be asking for him to be out.”
Goodman Says the Pressure on Mazzulla Has Increased
The Celtics nearly made it back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals last season in Mazzulla’s first year as coach. Instead, Boston was embarrassed at home by the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
It was a disappointing end to a great season, something Mazzulla and the Celtics hope to avoid this year.
“There’s only one goal for Boston, and it’s even increased now because of what they’ve done in the regular season,” Goodman said. “Brad (Stevens) has given you everything you need, if you’re healthy, to win this whole thing.
“Joe has a better grasp on this team, and they trust him more because they’re winning at a high level. I don’t think you have people that are going to outwardly question him like Marcus Smart did. I don’t think that helped Joe a year ago.
“That is not the way to go about it with a first-year head coach. To me, that was the worst thing Marcus Smart ever did in his career in Boston, publicly go after Mazzulla. It was immature.
“Brad and Mazzulla are on the same page. That’s the beauty. Sometimes the GM and the coach aren’t on the same page. I think Brad listens to Joe and is trying to give Joe a team that he can coach and that respects Joe.”
Goodman is right. Mazzulla needs to win it all. In the NBA, coaching is more about managing players than X’s and O’s. He has the backing of his players, but if he doesn’t win a championship this season, he’ll be looked as the guy who prevented Boston from winning a title.
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