Joe Mazzulla Thread, Head Coach – (COTM, Dec 2023 & March 2024)

[Hal14]

Awesome vibes with this team.

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[zoyathedestroya]

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[doogie_hauser]

Hiya folks

Newbie here

Want to give props this season to Joe Mazz, he has (in my opinion who watches all our games here in Melbourne, Australia) has done a really marvellous job, not just with coaching and our record., but building team chemistry and synergy (something very important to any potential championship aspirant)

As a regular listener to Bill Simmons podcast, I am constantly frustrated by him and his unsubtle pot shots at Mazz (calling him 2nd row Joe etc)

He complains about not letting KP and White close out games late with their pick and roll (such as the recent win against a now surging Miami Heat) which if nothing else, is insulting to our Alpha and leader of this team Jayson Tatum

Mazz is trusting more in our bench and peripheral played (limited as they are) which is greatly encouraging.

[bisme37]

[ConstableGeneva]

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[Fencer reregistered]

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Strong stuff

[The Corey's]

How about we wait until the playoffs before we crown him.

[bisme37]

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That is what the game of basketball is about, to me, and what counterattacking in soccer is about,” Mazzulla told The Athletic. “So I study a lot of Man City. I study Pep a lot. I think he’s the best coach at any level, in any sport. It’s had a huge influence (on me).”

One of Mazzulla’s favorite drills at practice consists of two five-man lineups walking onto the court with no offense/defense assignment. Then he throws the ball to one group and everyone has to jump into the right play call and defensive coverage immediately.

No time to think about what you’re going to do. Immediate read and react.

For Mazzulla, it was the visualization of how a coach manages the game so differently in soccer.

“That’s where my timeout philosophy started. I think soccer coaches are the best teachers, because once the game starts, you can’t call a timeout,” Mazzulla said. “The ability to create a system where your guys can operate and function based on the ebbs and flows of the game and how the game is going is really important. You have to empower your players to understand exactly how the game’s going and how quickly you can self-correct to either stop a run or create your own run.”

[Fencer reregistered]

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That is what the game of basketball is about, to me, and what counterattacking in soccer is about,” Mazzulla told The Athletic. “So I study a lot of Man City. I study Pep a lot. I think he’s the best coach at any level, in any sport. It’s had a huge influence (on me).”

One of Mazzulla’s favorite drills at practice consists of two five-man lineups walking onto the court with no offense/defense assignment. Then he throws the ball to one group and everyone has to jump into the right play call and defensive coverage immediately.

No time to think about what you’re going to do. Immediate read and react.

For Mazzulla, it was the visualization of how a coach manages the game so differently in soccer.

“That’s where my timeout philosophy started. I think soccer coaches are the best teachers, because once the game starts, you can’t call a timeout,” Mazzulla said. “The ability to create a system where your guys can operate and function based on the ebbs and flows of the game and how the game is going is really important. You have to empower your players to understand exactly how the game’s going and how quickly you can self-correct to either stop a run or create your own run.”

Great article. Joe really is trying to implement a new style of basketball.

We'll see how successful it remains when the newness wears off and other teams have more experience competing against it.

[Sweet Serenity]

This is why I laugh when posters on here who have never played or coached basketball at a professional level think they know more than him lol

[Homerclease]

This is why I laugh when posters on here who have never played or coached basketball at a professional level think they know more than him lol

We’d all get cooked 1 on 1 by every player in the NBA yet we still criticize guys all the time. Why would it be different for coaches?

Fwiw I think Joe has been a lot better in year two than year one but I still strongly disagree with his “let guys figure it out” approach and his overall game management in the final minutes during tight games can be questionable to put it nicely.

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

This is why I laugh when posters on here who have never played or coached basketball at a professional level think they know more than him lol

We’d all get cooked 1 on 1 by every player in the NBA yet we still criticize guys all the time. Why would it be different for coaches?

Fwiw I think Joe has been a lot better in year two than year one but I still strongly disagree with his “let guys figure it out” approach and his overall game management in the final minutes during tight games can be questionable to put it nicely.

He doesn't have a "let guys figure it out" approach by itself. He trains them outside of games how to read the game through drills and video, then leaves them at times to work through it in games.

If successful, it is immensely valuable and not dissimilar in approach to Golden State in some ways.

I often want to challenge people to see beyond convention in my areas of expertise in life and try to do so when judging what Joe or other coaches do, because conventions should be tested and need to be broken at times for improvement. In elite sport the margins are small and winning is exceptionally difficult. Being ahead of the curve is essential.

When people call Joe an idiot it's often based on the fact he is not doing things the same way other coaches have for a long time.

Now that doesn't mean it will work out or that Joe is a genius for doing that, but it doesn't make him an idiot either.

Listen to Joe speak about basketball and he's clearly at a very high level of understanding about the game and can articulate his thoughts well.

IMO what he's done very well this year is learning when to add some convention to his ideas, reading some game situations and being less stubborn about his approach. However the breaking convention aspect is still there and we're seeing the players talk his language and really add more and more wrinkles to their game with good effect. Personally I'm starting to feel like Joe might be an exceptional coach. However only time will tell.

[Homerclease]

This is why I laugh when posters on here who have never played or coached basketball at a professional level think they know more than him lol

We’d all get cooked 1 on 1 by every player in the NBA yet we still criticize guys all the time. Why would it be different for coaches?

Fwiw I think Joe has been a lot better in year two than year one but I still strongly disagree with his “let guys figure it out” approach and his overall game management in the final minutes during tight games can be questionable to put it nicely.

He doesn't have a "let guys figure it out" approach by itself. He trains them outside of games how to read the game through drills and video, then leaves them at times to work through it in games.

If successful, it is immensely valuable and not dissimilar in approach to Golden State in some ways.

I often want to challenge people to see beyond convention in my areas of expertise in life and try to do so when judging what Joe or other coaches do, because conventions should be tested and need to be broken at times for improvement. In elite sport the margins are small and winning is exceptionally difficult. Being ahead of the curve is essential.

When people call Joe an idiot it's often based on the fact he is not doing things the same way other coaches have for a long time.

Now that doesn't mean it will work out or that Joe is a genius for doing that, but it doesn't make him an idiot either.

Listen to Joe speak about basketball and he's clearly at a very high level of understanding about the game and can articulate his thoughts well.

IMO what he's done very well this year is learning when to add some convention to his ideas, reading some game situations and being less stubborn about his approach. However the breaking convention aspect is still there and we're seeing the players talk his language and really add more and more wrinkles to their game with good effect. Personally I'm starting to feel like Joe might be an exceptional coach. However only time will tell.

It cost this team games last postseason and will never work in practice because of the other variable that Joe can’t control and that’s the other team. Regular season is one thing, if you want to hang your men out to dry and let them sink or swim then so be it. The Celtics are none worse for wear as shown by our record. Now when the games actually matter? Throw that rubbish in the bin where it belongs and put your players in the best position you possibly can to succeed.

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

We’d all get cooked 1 on 1 by every player in the NBA yet we still criticize guys all the time. Why would it be different for coaches?

Fwiw I think Joe has been a lot better in year two than year one but I still strongly disagree with his “let guys figure it out” approach and his overall game management in the final minutes during tight games can be questionable to put it nicely.

He doesn't have a "let guys figure it out" approach by itself. He trains them outside of games how to read the game through drills and video, then leaves them at times to work through it in games.

If successful, it is immensely valuable and not dissimilar in approach to Golden State in some ways.

I often want to challenge people to see beyond convention in my areas of expertise in life and try to do so when judging what Joe or other coaches do, because conventions should be tested and need to be broken at times for improvement. In elite sport the margins are small and winning is exceptionally difficult. Being ahead of the curve is essential.

When people call Joe an idiot it's often based on the fact he is not doing things the same way other coaches have for a long time.

Now that doesn't mean it will work out or that Joe is a genius for doing that, but it doesn't make him an idiot either.

Listen to Joe speak about basketball and he's clearly at a very high level of understanding about the game and can articulate his thoughts well.

IMO what he's done very well this year is learning when to add some convention to his ideas, reading some game situations and being less stubborn about his approach. However the breaking convention aspect is still there and we're seeing the players talk his language and really add more and more wrinkles to their game with good effect. Personally I'm starting to feel like Joe might be an exceptional coach. However only time will tell.

It cost this team games last postseason and will never work in practice because of the other variable that Joe can’t control and that’s the other team. Regular season is one thing, if you want to hang your men out to dry and let them sink or swim then so be it. The Celtics are none worse for wear as shown by our record. Now when the games actually matter? Throw that rubbish in the bin where it belongs and put your players in the best position you possibly can to succeed.

He was a first year coach without appropriate support or a preseason. I agree he made a number of mistakes, but he himself has also admitted that too. Having the full year to apply his approach means they're more likely to be able to do it in the post season. Continuity and repetition is important.

If he has indeed learnt lessons from the post season last year like he thinks he has, then his leash will be shorter this post season when the team isn't handling matters or reading the game appropriately. Throwing out the approach he and the team has used all year would be a mistake IMO. We will see however.

[zoyathedestroya]

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[BK_2020]

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Basically we lead the league (tied with Dallas) in ppp on ATO plays. Not bad.

[165bows]

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Basically we lead the league (tied with Dallas) in ppp on ATO plays. Not bad.

Pop worst coach in the league confirmed.

[djFan71]

Spoiler:

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Basically we lead the league (tied with Dallas) in ppp on ATO plays. Not bad.

That's only cuz Joe games the stats by not calling timeouts and having just a few really special plays for when he forgets and calls one.

[BK_2020]

Spoiler:

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Basically we lead the league (tied with Dallas) in ppp on ATO plays. Not bad.

That's only cuz Joe games the stats by not calling timeouts and having just a few really special plays for when he forgets and calls one.

We do have the fewest ATO plays.

[djFan71]

Basically we lead the league (tied with Dallas) in ppp on ATO plays. Not bad.

That's only cuz Joe games the stats by not calling timeouts and having just a few really special plays for when he forgets and calls one.

We do have the fewest ATO plays.

Sucks when sarcasm proves insightful.