Mazzulla's raw take on what the NBA demands of young players like Josh Minott

Josh Minott joined the Boston Celtics for the same reason their other veteran additions did: the chance to carve out their place in the NBA. After three years mostly split between the Minnesota Timberwolves' bench and their G League affiliate, he entered the offseason eager to push himself.

Knowing the opportunity he had in front of him, Minott engaged in three-a-days while training in Miami. He also treated pick-up games with a group that included Bam Adebayo, Obi Toppin, Bones Hyland, and Malik Beasley like they were Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

"If there's a five-on-five run or something like that, I'm not just seeing that, it's just like, we're just having fun," Minott told this author after helping run a youth basketball clinic earlier in November. "I'm actually -- I'm trying to actually lock you down at like 10 am on a Sunday. It's like, no one's signing to be on the other end of that, but it's just like, that's how I was trying to prepare."

The work the soon-to-be 23-year-old wing put in this summer quickly paid dividends. Three games into the season, Minott ascended to Boston's starting lineup. He registered a career-high 21 points in a win over the Washington Wizards. It was everything the former Memphis Tigers standout was hoping for as he became a first-unit fixture.

Fortunately, he always maintained a proper perspective.

"I don't consider that I have any staying power. I'm trying to go out there like this [expletive] can end tomorrow because it can," said Minott about his place in the starting lineup after that victory vs. the Wizards. "Every time I go out, I just assume it can be taken from me."

That cautionary message proved prophetic.

Three games later, while making his ninth straight start in a rivalry clash with the Philadelphia 76ers, he logged just 8:16 and remained glued to the bench for the second half.

Even if prepared, that shock to the system isn't easy to deal with. In a credit to the mental toughness of an individual hungry to prove himself, it didn't take Minott long to showcase his resiliency.

Josh Minott quickly bounces back

After logging just 11:29 of floor time in a 121-118 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Minott demonstrated the fortitude needed to earn his new team's trust on Tuesday.

The six-foot-eight wing produced 10 points, knocking down 3/4 field goal attempts, including all three shots he hoisted from beyond the arc. He also grabbed four rebounds and contributed to the Celtics holding the Nets to double digits in a 113-99 victory. His performance earned him a +15 plus-minus rating and 19 minutes on the hardwood.

"I think at the end of the day, one is that we have an understanding that anybody could play at any given time, and we have multiple guys that can give us different stuff," Joe Mazzulla told Hardwood Houdini while discussing Minott's bounce-back performance.

"Also, you're seeing a group of guys that are just learning the league; learning how to execute one night, but also turn that into consistency, turn that into habits, and then just deal with the ebbs and flows of the season."

As they do so, they must navigate a multitude of physical and mental challenges. Those range from figuring out how to thrive while operating on a demanding schedule to handling the successes and failures that come their way. And they must maintain a healthy outlook when seeing teammates, even those who fill the same role, perform well. The latter can also add fuel to the fire.

"Everyone focuses on player development as far as on-court work, but there's a mental and a psychological aspect of the development piece of learning how to handle the league," Mazzulla conveyed to Hardwood Houdini. "The league is very unforgiving from a physical standpoint on your body, and also a mental standpoint. So, Josh is a guy who takes that serious; who understands the opportunity that he has, and he just continues to get better and better, and that's all you can ask for."