Joe Mazzulla shares core coaching ideal and it’s perfect for the Celtics

BRIGHTON — In the early stages of basketball, coaches are the superior figure. Players are effectively pawns of the coach’s ideals. Kids don’t know any better. They are still learning the game, and it’s the coach’s job to teach them, guide them, and put them in the best position to succeed. But as the level of competition improves, that should change.

Some NBA coaches still stick to that general idea. They are the leaders. They call the shots. They are the drill sergeant. But different groups of players call for different leadership styles. Plop the wrong one in with a set of players who seemingly have the talent to win a title, and it could throw a wrench into everything.

Joe Mazzulla refuses to be that wrench.

Mazzulla's core coaching ideal is perfect for Celtics

When Mazzulla was thrown into the fire as the interim head coach of the Celtics, it was a huge change. Up to that point, Mazzulla was a behind-the-bench coach. In an instant, he was leading one of the league’s premier franchises.

After falling short in his first season, and facing all of the criticism that came with it, Mazzulla found his footing. But more importantly, he found himself.

Boston added Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis last summer, giving them one of the most talented NBA rosters in recent memory. A group like that doesn’t need a drill sergeant. It needs a conductor.

And ever since Mazzulla stepped into the lead coach’s seat, he’s wanted to establish a relationship of togetherness rather than a hierarchy.

“I think that's something we wanted to establish,” Mazzulla said after practice on Friday. “When you have the type of guys and the character that we have, and it's starting with the best players, when you have that, it's a partnership. And we're trying to accomplish things together.

"And at the end of the day, they're the ones [who] have to execute and put their bodies on the line every night. And so, if there's alignment as to what we need to do as an organization, I think that just creates better opportunity for us to succeed.”

It’s the exact explanation Jayson Tatum cited when discussing his close relationship with Mazzulla.

“I love Joe to death,” Tatum said. “I admire the way that he's really come to his own. He truly does things his own way. He’s not trying to be somebody that he isn’t. He cares about all of us individually. And he believes in us. And like works with us. It’s not like he talks down on us. We’re all in a relationship together, and I respect that.”

Mazzulla’s improvement as a coach is often attributed to growth. He’s improved his tactics, his in-game adjustments, his timeout usage, and even his rotations. His progress has been substantial.

In reality, however, this was always who Mazzulla was. It just took him a while to be comfortable being himself.

Now that he is, his true colors have shown. And they’re green and white.