Joe Mazzulla doesn’t care about the praise, but he deserves all of it

Joe Mazzulla would be the first to admit that he benefits from a deeply talented roster. He’d also be the last one to accept praise for the team’s success. Despite his humility and Boston’s star power, Mazzulla has proven that he belongs. Not just as a leader, but in conversations with the league’s best coaches.

It’s easy for people to wave off his success as a byproduct of a strong roster, but that overlooks everything that he brings to the table to elevate them. Mazzulla checks off the boxes as a relationship builder, motivator, teacher and tactical decision-maker, just to name a few.

He has established a system—one that produces undeniable results—and has complete buy-in from the entirety of his roster. There is enough coaching turnover around the league to reinforce the fact that not everyone is capable of achieving this. For those that can, sustaining it across multiple seasons becomes even more difficult. The firings of Taylor Jenkins and Michael Malone are proof of that.

Mazzulla’s third regular season as the head coach is coming to an end, and his team shows no signs of discontent with the style that he wants to play. This is aided by a roster filled with unselfish individuals, but his ability to connect with players on an emotional level helps keep the wheels turning.

Being able to relate to players and build a relationship based on trust and respect is a key coaching responsibility that comes naturally for Mazzulla. He’s been vocal about how his time as an assistant allowed him to work closely with and learn about players on a deeper level.

Creating this bond has made it easy for his messages to be received in the nature that they were intended.

There is an established pecking order at the top, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way, but both have been able to defer when needed for the betterment of the team. That sets the tone for the rest of the rotation, and it’s clear how much respect there is across the board. Players understand that it can be anyone’s night, and that’s a critical part of what makes Mazzulla’s offense dangerous.

When the Celtics are healthy, Mazzulla’s imprint isn’t as pronounced. He’s not reclining in his seat with his feet up, but he puts trust in the hands of his best players to make decisions and be themselves. He still calls out sets and gives directives; however, he allows his team to read the game and execute the gameplan with his core principles in play.

This is where the conversation tends to drift in the wrong direction, becoming more about his lack of involvement and what that says about his actual coaching ability. In reality, it’s a sign of both his maturity and understanding of what his team is capable of. It also ignores the work done behind the scenes that allows the team to be self-sufficient.

It should be seen as a positive when Mazzulla’s team can get to their spacing, and run an action that generates an open look, while the coach observes quietly from the bench.

Talent and the intelligence of his players makes the job easier, but it’s moments when they’re down a few bodies that reveals the effectiveness of Mazzulla’s system.

Since Joe Mazzulla assumed the head coaching position in 2023, the Celtics have played 1,525 minutes where neither Tatum or Brown are on the floor. In those minutes, Boston has an 8.22 net rating.

It’s understandable to assume that most of this is boosted by garbage time performances, but in reality, the opposite is true. By removing low leverage possessions, the minutes are chopped down to 816, but the net rating jumps to 15.92. In these low leverage moments—the possessions with little on impact on win probability—Boston has a -.36 net rating without the Jays on the floor.

Whether it’s rest or injury that has forced his hand, Mazzulla has allowed for very little drop-off without his two best players. He may have less opportunity than some of his peers to guide a less stacked roster, but it shouldn’t be a critique on his success.

Any coach that can get meaningful production from a lineup comprised of the 7th-11th man is deserving of praise. Especially when they’re continuing to follow the principles that he has established.

The concepts in Mazzulla’s playbook aren’t particularly intricate, but the simplicity is intentional and beneficial to the skillsets on the Celtics. When you have creators and shot-makers as good as Boston does, having players navigate through a labyrinth of screens isn’t necessary. For an attack built on sniffing out weaknesses, they are efficient with the shot clock by chiseling down matchups that are certain to generate advantages.

Even if he’s not barking out commands mid-play and waving his arms around like an orchestra conductor, Mazzulla is still involved. Most of his work is done prior to the action, before transitioning to an observer. When it’s time to make adjustments, he’s always ready for that.

How the coaching tier list shakes out, I’m not so sure. For many of the reasons discussed above, it’s difficult to make a definitive ranking on coaches when situations can vary greatly. The easiest factors to judge by are team success and longevity. Mazzulla is still new at this, but the resume is growing quickly.

Either way, it should be indisputable by now that his name belongs among the NBA’s best. His combination of basketball knowledge, propensity for connecting with his players, and a forward-thinking approach allow him to be an effective leader for the league’s most talented team. He understands what it means to coach the Boston Celtics, and is rapidly growing into someone that could fill that role for a long time.