Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla Throws Subtle Dig At Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins hasn’t been shy about throwing out some tough love toward his former team, but Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla isn’t backing down.

The NBA analyst has thrown multiple shots at Mazzulla this season and doesn’t like Boston’s proclivity to beat teams with efficient 3-point shooting. Mazzulla hasn’t directly addressed Perkins, but the Celtics coach threw in a “bird brain” joke last month that seemed to target the 2008 NBA champion.

Before the Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Tuesday night, Perkins was on ESPN’s “NBA Today” and again complained about Boston’s 3-point frequency and demanded to see more post-ups. That chatter seems to have been heard by the C’s locker room.

“We talked over the last week or so. We definitely think we need to post more,” Mazzulla told reporters, per the Boston Herald’s Steve Hewitt. “I don’t think we’re posting enough.”

That was a strange turn to take after a win, but the Celtics head coach can throw out his dry humor at any time.

“I was joking,” Mazzulla said. “We’re second in (post-up) frequency and first in (post-up) efficiency.”

Mazzulla wasn’t wrong. The Denver Nuggets are ahead of Boston in post-up frequency, and the Celtics score 1.17 points per possession on post-ups, which is 0.01 points higher than the Indiana Pacers. Boston also is fourth in the league in post touches per game.

Again, Perkins’ name wasn’t directly addressed, but fans knew exactly what Mazzulla was referencing. It might not be the traditional post-ups Perkins was used to in his heyday, but the numbers show Boston doesn’t always dribble up the court and jack up threes.

However, it doesn’t seem like the unofficial beef between Mazzulla and Perkins will end anytime soon.