Boston Celtics analyst has brutal message about Joe Mazzulla’s coaching
Heavy’s Adam Taylor had a brutal message regarding the coaching job Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has done during the 2023 postseason — rattling off a laundry list of things he has done or has failed to do during his first playoffs.
Mazzulla's offensive plan has sucked throughout the post-season.
— Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) May 10, 2023
The team is 2nd-bottom in defensive rating among the remaining teams.
His adjustments haven't worked. He can't stop simple PnR changes.
I think you will find, Mazzulla is certainly *part* of the issue here. https://t.co/AS9q0YFmQF
Mazzulla’s Celtics dropped their second straight game of the 2023 postseason in Game 5 against the 76ers, which was the first time Boston tasted defeat on consecutive outings during the head coach’s playoff debut.
Of course, Mazzulla wasn’t expected to be in this position, considering he was an assistant the weeks heading into Boston Celtics training camp back in September 2022. Ime Udoka’s ouster via a conduct-related suspension that turned into a permanent firing singlehandedly changed the course of the 2022-23 season for the Cs. What started out as a team bonded by controversy and organizational dysfunction has turned into a clear sign that Boston got rid of its battle-tested head coach for an assistant who wasn’t ready for such a drastic promotion.
Neither Brad Stevens nor Ime Udoka fit ‘didn’t work’ label with Boston Celtics
For those who haven’t been paying attention, Mazzulla is in his seat because his Boston Celtics predecessors couldn’t hack leading the NBA’s co-winningest franchise (with the Lakers) in one of the least media-friendly markets in the country. Of course, Udoka was wildly successful in his lone season coaching the Cs and was undone by his own personal mistakes behind the scenes. Brad Stevens, on the other hand, was promoted.
Taylor took aim at those who miss those nuances:
Labelling Brad Stevens as the coach “that didn’t work” is wild to me. He literally expedited the rebuild, developed talent, had deep playoff runs.
— Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) May 10, 2023
Udoka, for his flaws, also doesn’t fit the “didn’t work” label. He took them to the Finals his rookie year… https://t.co/eZVPqR4QMk
If Mazzulla’s Celtics lose their third straight in Game 6, uncomfortable conversations about Mazzulla’s job status will begin. Whether Boston acts on them is a story only the future has the facts to report on.