Making the case for Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla for Coach of the Year

For the most part, the 2022-23 campaign for the Boston Celtics has been smooth sailing thanks to the incredible work of new coach Joe Mazzulla.

With the victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at the TD Garden, Mazzulla’s Boston Celtics have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. In a season that has been far from normal, the Rhode Island native Mazzulla has continuously found a way to make it feel like it has been. While the Vegas odds of winning the Red Auerbach Coach of the Year are in favor of Kings head man Mike Brown for the tremendous job he has done in northern California, Mazzulla deserves so much praise for captaining this team to such a remarkable season. Mazzulla currently sits with the second best odds to hoist the silverware, behind Brown who is the favorite at -2500 according to Vegas Insider.

Heading into the summer following the defeat in the NBA Finals, the former Fairmont State head man had his mind on doing what he can as an assistant to propel this ball club back to the NBA’s promise land. Right before action resumed in the Auerbach Center in preparation for the campaign, Boston announced a suspension to head coach Ime Udoka, the man who led the Cs to their first Finals appearance since 2010.

Mazzulla was then thrusted into the head coach position by Brad Stevens. The Rhode Island native came into the job with experience leading only a Division II staff for two seasons in Fairmont, West Virginia. With limited time, Mazzulla not only had to get his players physically ready for a pressure-filled campaign coming up, but he had to endure the mental side of the game as his players digested the fact that a coach nearly everyone was fond of was no longer going to be with them.

His humble mentality, and willingness to listen to the people around him provided Boston with the stability it needed during a time of extreme uncertainty. Like Stevens, Mazzulla does not show much emotion to the public eye. He does not always have that many words to say, but every time he speaks, the people around him are attentive.

Missing two games due to eye irritation he suffered in a pre-game pick-up game between his fellow coaches tells everyone all they need to know about this man. No matter what it is or who is playing on that given night, Mazzulla has one goal, to win. To say he has done that pretty well this season in Boston is an understatement.

If it was not for Brown’s unforgettable season leading Sacramento to its first postseason berth since 2006, the Coach of the Year race would be featuring just one contestant. You can credit the plethora of talent that Mazzulla had at his disposal, but in reality if it was not for the leadership of the former West Virginia guard throughout the season, who knows where this ball club would be. The Cs are the only team in the association that is ranked in the top-three in both offensive and defensive rating. Boston is top-six in assist to turnover ratio while leading the entire league in defensive rebounding percentage. This year’s edition of the Celtics has done a much better job taking care of the basketball this season compared to the team in 2021-22 who was in the middle of the pack in that particular category.

Joe Mazzulla has been nothing but a class act since taking over the Boston Celtics reins from Ime Udoka

You can talk about Brown turning a 32-50 team into a top-three seed in the Western Conference, but the 53-year-old came into the job in upstate California with experience leading an NBA roster. He became the eighth coach in the history of the most storied NBA franchise to coach in an NBA All-Star Game in February. Like any head coach, Mazzulla has had to battle through plenty of turbulence. Whether it was his confusing rotations, or his unwillingness to call necessary timeouts, Mazzulla has dealt with it all.

For someone coming into his first season as a head coach at the highest level of basketball in the world at the age of 34, he has done a remarkable job. The Celtics could obvious be better. Sure, they blew a chance at the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with their form after the All-Star break, but all in all, the rookie coach has been able to create a seamless transition midst one of the most puzzling situations in the franchises’ history.

He has the credentials to become the first Cs head man to win the award since Bill Fitch in 1980. With the name of arguably the most influential Celtic engraved on the trophy, it only makes sense, like the Sixth Man of the Year for a Celtic to win the honor. Whatever happens during this postseason run, Stevens and the Boston Celtics know they have someone incredibly special leading the charge for years to come.