Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has never been one to take credit. In fact, the very first thing he did in front of the media after becoming the youngest head coach to win the NBA Finals in over 50 years was praise others.
“You can't lose sight of the people that came before us,” Mazzulla said in his first press conference as an NBA champion. “And I want to make sure every person that's worked for the Celtics, that's played for the Celtics that didn't win, knows that their work and what they have done has not gone unnoticed or it doesn't play a part in where we are at today.”
As a result of this humility, it becomes easy to overlook his accomplishments. For proof of that, take a peek at how CBS Sports ranked every coach in the league.
Coaches CBS sports ranked over Joe Mazzulla: - Nick Nurse (76ers) - Rick Carlisle (Pacers) - Steve Kerr (Warriors) - Will Hardy (Jazz) - Ime Udoka (Rockets) - Mike Budenholzer (Suns) - Tom Thibodeau (Knicks) INSANE disrespect.
Mazzulla finished 11th in the field of 30, with former Celtics coaches Ime Udoka and Will Hardy placing ahead of him. Keep in mind that Hardy, who manages the Utah Jazz, has never been to the playoffs as a head coach while Udoka is still searching for his first championship ring at the helm. Meanwhile, if Mazzulla suddenly retired, he'd have the highest winning percentage of any coach in NBA history.
Every name above Mazzulla's isn't necessarily wrong, but having the young coach outside of the top 10 is disrespectful. So just as a reminder, here are a few reasons why he deserves more credit as the leader of the Green Team.
Joe Mazzulla overcame the outside noise
Perhaps the biggest knock against Mazzulla's coaching ability is that he was gifted a talented roster. When he took over the Celtics in 2022, he boasted a team fresh off its first appearance in the Finals in over a decade.
With stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as well as vocal veterans such as Marcus Smart and Al Horford, Boston seemed destined to compete no matter who was in charge. However, the 2022-23 season didn't go exactly as planned, as the C's were bounced in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat.
This shocking upset was another instance of the Celtics approaching greatness but coming up just short, and the reactive sports media world dealt out plenty of criticism. Oftentimes, Mazzulla was the target of media ire.
Talking heads called for his job, debated whether or not he used timeouts effectively, and argued that his players didn't believe in him.
"It happens. You've got to get rid of the coach." —@ColinCowherd reacts to Celtics falling down 0-3
Following the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, Mazzulla still faced backlash. When the Celtics fell 102-100 to the Denver Nuggets earlier this year, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins went on a lengthy rant roasting Mazzulla, going as far as implying that he was simply stupid:
“If you take [Joe Mazzulla’s] brain and put it in a bird, the bird is gonna start flying backwards” Kendrick Perkins is hilarious LMAOOOOO
Many coaches, especially ones who haven't even turned 37 years old, would've crumbled under this pressure. Yes, having an elite team is a luxury, but it comes with extremely high expectations. And Boston sports fans rarely take kindly to those who under perform and can't deliver championships.
Mazzulla didn't crack. Instead, he rolled with the punches and matched their intensity—in his own way.
In his second season as head coach, and his first full season with his own staff, Mazzulla helped the C's notch the best overall record in the NBA. They went an impressive 64-18 in the regular season and dominated the playoffs to boot.
Of course, the Celtics' offseason additions played a huge role in securing the franchise's 18th title, yet that doesn't mean Mazzulla should be forgotten. He meshed well with the team's identity and uplifted his players, earning their trust in the process.
Related NewsArticle continues below
“We all know Joe was thrown into the fire last year, and I felt like he did the best he could. But I just think this year, everything was different when we came in for workouts before training camp,” Horford described in the wake of a Game 5 Finals victory. “Everything that he wanted to do, he was able to accomplish. He always knew when to push the buttons. He's hard. He can be a little wacky sometimes. But that's what we appreciate about him. He truly cares about us, and he cares about what it means to be a Celtic.”
Joe Mazzulla transformed the Celtics' offense
Team chemistry and intangibles aside, Mazzulla did a lot for the C's in terms of the X's and O's. The New England native transformed Boston's offense into one of the most formidable powerhouses the NBA has ever seen.
Before Mazzulla was head coach, the Celtics posted a respectable 113.6 offensive rating during the 2021-22 campaign. That was good enough for the eighth-best rating in the entire league.
Coaches CBS sports ranked over Joe Mazzulla:
- Nick Nurse (76ers)
- Rick Carlisle (Pacers)
- Steve Kerr (Warriors)
- Will Hardy (Jazz)
- Ime Udoka (Rockets)
- Mike Budenholzer (Suns)
- Tom Thibodeau (Knicks)
INSANE disrespect. pic.twitter.com/EbBFH647wb— CelticsUnite (@CelticsUnite18) September 16, 2024
When Mazzulla was named the head coach during the 2022-23 season, Boston's offensive rating jumped up to 117.3, which was the second in the Association behind the Sacramento Kings. And last season, Mazzulla's men scored 122.2 points per 100 possessions in the regular season, giving the Celtics the title of the most efficient offense in NBA history.
Boston Celtics: — Best offense of all-time — Top 3 net rating of all-time — Highest win percentage since '17 Warriors Larger gap between them and the 2 seed than there is between the 2 seed and the 8 seed.
These year-by-year improvements aren't a coincidence. Mazzulla's emphasis on analytics and finding the right three-point shots has been a boon for the C's. He's been able to get the most out of his star-studded squad and turn a perennial contender into a championship team that's hungry for more.
