Joe Mazzula--New Celtics Assistant Coach

[cloverleaf]

Not to say they don't need a Waltah-like replacement, but a very large percentage of current NBA coaches (both head coaches and assistants) never played a minute in the league either. Including guys like Popovich.

May be talking about our entire coaching staff. I can't remember any one of them who have. Is it normal for the entire staff to be without one?

If I had to guess and it would be just an educated guess it would be at least 80% of NBA teams have a head coach or some other coach that played in the NBA for at least a part of a year. Some teams with more than one.

What apparently has changed a bit is star/superstar NBA players are no longer as interested in coaching. In the past, many of the superstar players/repeat all-stars (Bill Russell, Bird, Magic, Isiah Thomas, Lenny Wilkens, Dave Cowens, Paul Silas, Heinsohn, Cousy, Collins) got into coaching for at least a bit since relatively speaking they weren't paid that well as players.

I am probably missing someone but the only current NBA coach/ex coach I can think of who has been a superstar player/repeat all-star who entered the NBA in the mid 90's or after that is Jason Kidd.

I don't think anyone has suggested that a previous repeat All-Star is required. But even Pop has typically had a majority of his coaching staff with at least some professional playing experience--whether NBA, international, or now even WNBA.

[cloverleaf]

So Brad seems to have "vetted" himself and decided to double down on more of the same. Yet another young, no-name, college guy instead of someone who has played and/or coached in the NBA--or professionally anywhere.

Unfortunate IMO.

Celtics are probably spending so much on the salaries of Stevens/Ainge/maybe Zarren to a lesser extent that they may be reluctant to pay a competitive rate for an established NBA veteran to be an assistant.

The real reason I would kind of like an ex NBA player to be on the coaching staff is just not so that player may help Stevens have a backbone when dealing with certain players but also so that player can stand up to Ainge and just say the sort of roster you are building is not giving the team the best chance to win.

The right hire whoever it is would actually be a threat to replace Stevens and Ainge. Someone capable of being next head coach of Celtics or someone capable of replacing Ainge. Do Ainge, Stevens and Zarren really want this?

There is no evidence that that is the case--from other management salaries to Wyc and crew scrimping on assistant coach payrolls. Danny initially hired Doc, as a relatively big name, previous NBA Coach of the Year, to coach and his top assistant in Zarren has long been highly regarded. Danny's hiring weakness is probably in the nepotism of hiring his son. This whole junior-kiddie-low-level college-hiring thing of Brad's appears to be just that--Brad's.

(And really, it is not the role of an asset coach to "stand up to" the GM and point fingers about the GM's roster building or to be a likely replacement of the GM.)

[FlatearthZorro]

So Brad seems to have "vetted" himself and decided to double down on more of the same. Yet another young, no-name, college guy instead of someone who has played and/or coached in the NBA--or professionally anywhere.

Unfortunate IMO.

Celtics are probably spending so much on the salaries of Stevens/Ainge/maybe Zarren to a lesser extent that they may be reluctant to pay a competitive rate for an established NBA veteran to be an assistant.

The real reason I would kind of like an ex NBA player to be on the coaching staff is just not so that player may help Stevens have a backbone when dealing with certain players but also so that player can stand up to Ainge and just say the sort of roster you are building is not giving the team the best chance to win.

The right hire whoever it is would actually be a threat to replace Stevens and Ainge. Someone capable of being next head coach of Celtics or someone capable of replacing Ainge. Do Ainge, Stevens and Zarren really want this?

There is no evidence that that is the case--from other management salaries to Wyc and crew scrimping on assistant coach payrolls. Danny initially hired Doc, as a relatively big name, previous NBA Coach of the Year, to coach and his top assistant in Zarren has long been highly regarded. Danny's hiring weakness is probably in the nepotism of hiring his son. This whole junior-kiddie-low-level college-hiring thing of Brad's appears to be just that--Brad's.

(And really, it is not the role of an asset coach to "stand up to" the GM and point fingers about the GM's roster building or to be a likely replacement of the GM.)

Yep, that's Brad, I completely agree. I believe Danny has given him the freedom to hire whoever he wants to.

[soxfan2003]

So Brad seems to have "vetted" himself and decided to double down on more of the same. Yet another young, no-name, college guy instead of someone who has played and/or coached in the NBA--or professionally anywhere.

Unfortunate IMO.

Celtics are probably spending so much on the salaries of Stevens/Ainge/maybe Zarren to a lesser extent that they may be reluctant to pay a competitive rate for an established NBA veteran to be an assistant.

The real reason I would kind of like an ex NBA player to be on the coaching staff is just not so that player may help Stevens have a backbone when dealing with certain players but also so that player can stand up to Ainge and just say the sort of roster you are building is not giving the team the best chance to win.

The right hire whoever it is would actually be a threat to replace Stevens and Ainge. Someone capable of being next head coach of Celtics or someone capable of replacing Ainge. Do Ainge, Stevens and Zarren really want this?

There is no evidence that that is the case--from other management salaries to Wyc and crew scrimping on assistant coach payrolls. Danny initially hired Doc, as a relatively big name, previous NBA Coach of the Year, to coach and his top assistant in Zarren has long been highly regarded. Danny's hiring weakness is probably in the nepotism of hiring his son. This whole junior-kiddie-low-level college-hiring thing of Brad's appears to be just that--Brad's.

(And really, it is not the role of an asset coach to "stand up to" the GM and point fingers about the GM's roster building or to be a likely replacement of the GM.)

If the best people are being hired, Stevens/Ainge's jobs are in greater jeopardy. I mean that is obvious since Wyc may notice how good a particular assistant is just like Robert Kraft recognized BB was very good when he was an assistant. And I would say it is normally the job of the head coach to stand up to the gm more than a lead assistant coach but Stevens may be too deferential to Ainge since Stevens is so much younger and Steven never even played D1 basketball. Someone like Doc Rivers less deferential. That is why I believe a strong assistant would help.

There really is some evidence that the Celtics may be skimping on assistant salaries. Under Wyc, have the Celtics ever had a truly highly paid assistant? If so, who? Only possibility, I can think of is Tom Thibodeau after the Celtics won the title in 2008. Maybe he got a nice bump in salary if he wasn't already locked into a certain salary.

There really is kind of a difference in spending on Stevens/Ainge and even Zarren and a #2 assistant coach. Stevens/Ainge spending on them at a certain point in kind of marketing to fans as much as it is anything else. I suspect lots of qualified people probably take Ainge's job or even Stevens job and sign a 4 year deal at 300k per year knowing if they do well, some other NBA team will pay them 3-8+ million a year... So, why do Celtics owners select gm's/coaches that are big names like Pitino/Ainge and even Stevens to a lesser extent? Some of it is marketing to fans and even the media.

[chrisab123]

Celtics are probably spending so much on the salaries of Stevens/Ainge/maybe Zarren to a lesser extent that they may be reluctant to pay a competitive rate for an established NBA veteran to be an assistant.

The real reason I would kind of like an ex NBA player to be on the coaching staff is just not so that player may help Stevens have a backbone when dealing with certain players but also so that player can stand up to Ainge and just say the sort of roster you are building is not giving the team the best chance to win.

The right hire whoever it is would actually be a threat to replace Stevens and Ainge. Someone capable of being next head coach of Celtics or someone capable of replacing Ainge. Do Ainge, Stevens and Zarren really want this?

There is no evidence that that is the case--from other management salaries to Wyc and crew scrimping on assistant coach payrolls. Danny initially hired Doc, as a relatively big name, previous NBA Coach of the Year, to coach and his top assistant in Zarren has long been highly regarded. Danny's hiring weakness is probably in the nepotism of hiring his son. This whole junior-kiddie-low-level college-hiring thing of Brad's appears to be just that--Brad's.

(And really, it is not the role of an asset coach to "stand up to" the GM and point fingers about the GM's roster building or to be a likely replacement of the GM.)

Yep, that's Brad, I completely agree. I believe Danny has given him the freedom to hire whoever he wants to.

Well so far the crowd who believes Brad will make adjustments in the off season must "love" this hire! Seriously get someone in here who has been a player in the NBA. Hell Posey and Stackhouse are probably kicking around. Two examples of ex players who are now coaches.

[cloverleaf]

Celtics are probably spending so much on the salaries of Stevens/Ainge/maybe Zarren to a lesser extent that they may be reluctant to pay a competitive rate for an established NBA veteran to be an assistant.

The real reason I would kind of like an ex NBA player to be on the coaching staff is just not so that player may help Stevens have a backbone when dealing with certain players but also so that player can stand up to Ainge and just say the sort of roster you are building is not giving the team the best chance to win.

The right hire whoever it is would actually be a threat to replace Stevens and Ainge. Someone capable of being next head coach of Celtics or someone capable of replacing Ainge. Do Ainge, Stevens and Zarren really want this?

There is no evidence that that is the case--from other management salaries to Wyc and crew scrimping on assistant coach payrolls. Danny initially hired Doc, as a relatively big name, previous NBA Coach of the Year, to coach and his top assistant in Zarren has long been highly regarded. Danny's hiring weakness is probably in the nepotism of hiring his son. This whole junior-kiddie-low-level college-hiring thing of Brad's appears to be just that--Brad's.

(And really, it is not the role of an asset coach to "stand up to" the GM and point fingers about the GM's roster building or to be a likely replacement of the GM.)

If the best people are being hired, Stevens/Ainge's jobs are in greater jeopardy. I mean that is obvious since Wyc may notice how good a particular assistant is just like Robert Kraft recognized BB was very good when he was an assistant. And I would say it is normally the job of the head coach to stand up to the gm more than a lead assistant coach but Stevens may be too deferential to Ainge since Stevens is so much younger and Steven never even played D1 basketball. Someone like Doc Rivers less deferential. That is why I believe a strong assistant would help.

There really is some evidence that the Celtics may be skimping on assistant salaries. Under Wyc, have the Celtics ever had a truly highly paid assistant? If so, who? Only possibility, I can think of is Tom Thibodeau after the Celtics won the title in 2008. Maybe he got a nice bump in salary if he wasn't already locked into a certain salary.

There really is kind of a difference in spending on Stevens/Ainge and even Zarren and a #2 assistant coach. Stevens/Ainge spending on them at a certain point in kind of marketing to fans as much as it is anything else. I suspect lots of qualified people probably take Ainge's job or even Stevens job and sign a 4 year deal at 300k per year knowing if they do well, some other NBA team will pay them 3-8+ million a year... So, why do Celtics owners select gm's/coaches that are big names like Pitino/Ainge and even Stevens to a lesser extent? Some of it is marketing to fans and even the media.

The Ron Adams experiment only lasted for one year and so I agree with you that Brad may be afraid of assistants with too much experience that he doesn't have. But Danny? No. That just doesn't fit.

And my only question re: Wyc's spending is on the number of assistants. I know they are limited in the number who can sit on the front bench with the head coach during games, but still I think the Bucks, for example, had two more coaches than the C's last season.

If Brad were worried about bumping one of his bunkies so he could bring in a couple of ex-players--say a big man and one with extensive coaching experience--then he could at least keep his old guys on staff, though perhaps move one to the second row.

Instead he seems to be loading up with more of the same. Sigh.

[Curmudgeon]

Alas, there is now a zero chance that Boogie Cousins will sign with the Celtics, since Joe Mazulla outplayed him when West Virginia upset Kentucky in 2010.

The statement above is completely ridiculous, of course. But it's no more ridiculous than some of the other statements in this thread. I don't trust Stevens uncritically, but I do trust him to decide who can coach and who can't.

[ThirtyFour]

It’s a terrible shame that he didn’t coach for the Montana Grizzlies. I mean Joe Mazzula from Missoula??? Come on!

This is how I imagine the introductory press conference with him and Brad to sound...

Watch on YouTube

Would love it if someone could dub Brads post game pressers over some Kermit talking video. Or maybe vice verse.

[KumaJG]

Hopefully we get some vets to help guide the players

[Curmudgeon]

We don't need vets to guide the players. We need players who can understand what Stevens wants them to do and then to do it with energy. Simple.

[Fencer reregistered]

Not to say they don't need a Waltah-like replacement, but a very large percentage of current NBA coaches (both head coaches and assistants) never played a minute in the league either. Including guys like Popovich.

May be talking about our entire coaching staff. I can't remember any one of them who have. Is it normal for the entire staff to be without one?

If I had to guess and it would be just an educated guess it would be at least 80% of NBA teams have a head coach or some other coach that played in the NBA for at least a part of a year. Some teams with more than one.

What apparently has changed a bit is star/superstar NBA players are no longer as interested in coaching. In the past, many of the superstar players/repeat all-stars (Bill Russell, Bird, Magic, Isiah Thomas, Lenny Wilkens, Dave Cowens, Paul Silas, Heinsohn, Cousy, Collins) got into coaching for at least a bit since relatively speaking they weren't paid that well as players.

I am probably missing someone but the only current NBA coach/ex coach I can think of who has been a superstar player/repeat all-star who entered the NBA in the mid 90's or after that is Jason Kidd.

Jerry Stackhouse is close, but he's coaching in college at the moment and only made two all-star games anyway.

[JR Hawks]

Yet another example of zero accountability for Stevens and Ainge, despite a disastrous 12 months.

[Curmudgeon]

If they had hired Kendrick Perkins instead it would have produced at least 10 more wins.

[zoyathedestroya]

https://www.wvnews.com/sports/college/mazzulla-accepts-position-with-boston-celtics/article_773e01c2-61a1-5598-a40e-12634536ce52.html

[cloverleaf]

If they had hired Kendrick Perkins instead it would have produced at least 10 more wins.

And the C's first asst coach perpetual quote machine.

But yeah, someone like Perk knows a whole lot more about the real NBA big-man game than does a young coach from the Mountain East Conference. And a lot more credibility with young and old NBA players as well.

[Curmudgeon]

If they had hired Kendrick Perkins instead it would have produced at least 10 more wins.

And the C's first asst coach perpetual quote machine.

But yeah, someone like Perk knows a whole lot more about the real NBA big-man game than does a young coach from the Mountain East Conference. And a lot more credibility with young and old NBA players as well.

LOL, I was being facetious. Why would Perkins have more credibility? Do you think he knows the game better than Mazulla? I don't.

[Roddy]

Come on people !!!




Many teams have NBA vets in their coaching staff, and it doesn't guarantee success.

Mazzula is a young coach who could bring something new to our staff. I doubt that Kendrick knows basketball better than him (I could be wrong of course).
As for leadership, I'm sure the past season was a lesson for Brad and he will learn from it.

[cloverleaf]

If they had hired Kendrick Perkins instead it would have produced at least 10 more wins.

And the C's first asst coach perpetual quote machine.

But yeah, someone like Perk knows a whole lot more about the real NBA big-man game than does a young coach from the Mountain East Conference. And a lot more credibility with young and old NBA players as well.

LOL, I was being facetious. Why would Perkins have more credibility? Do you think he knows the game better than Mazulla? I don't.

Which is why I took issue with you.

He knows the NBA big-man game a lot better, I'll guarantee that. And for someone like Rob Williams that could be very valuable. But also he was the starting center on an NBA championship team and was a player in the league for 16 years. He can speak to a lot of life-in-the-NBA personal stuff that players have to go through and Mazulla is only now just going to get his first taste of, though not as a player. He is widely respected in the league and known for being a defense and team above all role player. A great model in various ways. He may not be the guy for them, but it is not only those who can show the best x's and o's prowess for Mountain East Conference college boy teams that a balanced coaching staff should include.

Coaches are only useful if players listen and buy in to what they are saying.

[Curmudgeon]

So I guess Stevens was a bad hire. After all, Kareem was available.

[soxfan2003]

If they had hired Kendrick Perkins instead it would have produced at least 10 more wins.

And the C's first asst coach perpetual quote machine.

But yeah, someone like Perk knows a whole lot more about the real NBA big-man game than does a young coach from the Mountain East Conference. And a lot more credibility with young and old NBA players as well.

LOL, I was being facetious. Why would Perkins have more credibility? Do you think he knows the game better than Mazulla? I don't.

I am no big advocate of hiring Perkins who I do suspect may be better at teaching big man moves/defense -- remember he had to really learn his game at the NBA level and can at least teach some of the things he learned -- but there is at least a chance he would have stood up to playoff Kyrie in the Bucks series. It is harder for a young coach that didn't play in the NBA or coach long in the NBA to do that. At least Perkins can say with legitimacy, he was almost a starter on 2 championship teams before he blew out his ACL.

Clearly, the team including Stevens didn't appear to call Kyrie out enough for the guy to change his behavior.

Players missing shots is just basketball. 80-85% of what Kyrie did on offense was fine in that series and in line with regular season Kyrie but the 15-20% that was bad after the first couple of game was pretty darn egregious. And well established coaches like Popovich and Doc Rivers, I do not believe would have put up with it. Rivers by his own admission was tough on PGs since I think he realized it was especially important for those players to play the right way since if they didn't, the whole team could go south.

And I realize Irving doesn't have the ability to be that good on defense but some of the stuff he was doing was super bad on that end after first couple of games. We have all seen Irving give greater effort than he did in that series on defense.

Maybe Perkins speaks to him privately and says if it continues he will have to call him out in front of the whole team and recommend him being benched.

I suspect Stevens not wanting to create controversy was afraid to do it. Perkins may not give a f.

I am not advocating for a Bill Fitch style of coaching. Fitch seemed like to much of a hard a*** when it came to some of the meaningless stuff from some of the stuff Maxwell said but the coaching staff needs to make players accountable for good shot selection within their roles and playing best defense possible in the playoffs.

What good is X0 knowledge if you can't get the players to do the right thing in the games that count in terms of the basics?