Joe Mazzulla on Thursday was named the 19th head coach of the Boston Celtics, being elevated to the permanent position after previously working this season on an interim title. The Celtics announced Mazzulla will replace former head coach Ime Udoka.
It probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to Celtics fans or the NBA community.
Mazzulla took over for Udoka only days before the Celtics reported to training camp for the 2022-23 campaign. Back in September, Udoka was suspended for at least one season due to violations of team policies, which reportedly stemmed from Udoka having an improper relationship with a Celtics female staffer while making “unwanted” comments and using “crude” language towards said staffer.
While the Celtics opted to suspend Udoka rather than fire him at the time, it felt from the beginning that Udoka would not coach the organization again. The Celtics reportedly never made guarantees that Udoka would return. He had just helped the Celtics to the NBA Finals after a remarkable second-half turnaround. At the time, many speculated the suspension had much more to do with behind-the-scenes details such as Udoka’s contract and the franchise having its own investigation buttoned up in case Udoka fought back on the grounds of wrongful termination. The one-year head coach did not do so, instead accepting the punishment.
As it relates to Mazzulla, since the 34-year-old Rhode Island native took over Boston’s bench this season both players and the Celtics brass have had nothing but positive things to say. They’ve praised him as a good coach and motivator. Jayson Tatum specifically told a story about how Mazzulla used the metaphor of a sandcastle to help the Celtics avoid being complacent this season, something the NBA MVP candidate said the team bought into. Those sorts of relationships and connections with players, especially in a player-driven league like the NBA, can’t be understated.
“As he has shown, Joe is a very talented coach and leader,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens wrote in a statement Thursday. “He has a unique ability to galvanize a room around a mission. We are thankful for the work he has done to help get us to this point, and excited that he has agreed to lead us into the future.”
Of course, Mazzulla also has experienced some growing pains since taking over. He frequently has been criticized for playing Boston’s stars too many minutes causing some to believe he lacks foresight for a title contender. And as recently as Tuesday against the Bucks, Mazzulla might have made his worst mistake of the season by not calling a timeout in a crucial moment as the shorthanded C’s fell in Milwaukee.
However, Mazzulla and the Celtics also have compiled a league-best 42-17 record entering the NBA All-Star break, the unofficial midway point of the season. And they’ve done so while overcoming injuries and absences to key players like Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams and Al Horford not playing back-to-backs. Mazzulla seemingly has pushed the right buttons as it relates to the team’s depth, too, with Derrick White recently winning the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
There’s something to be said about that level of success while simultaneously acknowledging the first-year coach greatly benefitted from taking over a team fresh off an NBA Finals appearance.
All told, though, the writing was on the wall that Udoka would not return and Mazzulla would soon get the interim title ripped off. And while it’s fair to say Mazzulla fell into a beneficial situation, one that’s not commonplace in sports, that doesn’t mean he isn’t deserving of the opportunity he’s been rewarded with.
