When Josh Minott joined the Boston Celtics this past offseason, a lot of the fanbase didn't think much of it due to his limited role and impact with his previous team. But Joe Mazzulla has been proving his coaching brilliance by turning Minott into a real contributor, and constructing a situation wherein Josh can find his ideal role.
In his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minott never averaged more than 6.4 minutes per game. There admittedly wasn't a ton of motivation for the Celtics to pick him up, but the coaching staff took a leap of faith, and Josh has been rewarding Mazzulla's faith by adapting to a system in Boston that is also adapting to him.
Minott is a player that has exceptional defensive instincts paired with athleticism. On defense, he is ideal for what the Celtics are trying to do. At the same time, Josh's inconsistencies offensively continue to be mitigated by his usage and the type of role he's being employed in. Mazzulla is designing the offense to accentuate Minott's cutting and defensive abilities rather than forcing him into high volume shooting or spacing roles.
Joe Mazzulla is showing his greatness with Josh Minott
The emergence of Minott being someone who can make real contributions in Boston's system reflects the kind of changes this coaching staff has had to make with such a vastly different roster compared to last season. Mazzulla's coaching style demands high energy, versatility, and a team-first attitude. These are the qualities that teammates have repeatedly associated with Josh Minott.
And at the same time, Mazzulla is being intentional about putting Minott in a position to be successful while trusting that his strengths can make a difference for this team. By minimizing and hiding away as best he can the areas of Minott's game that aren't his strengths, Mazzulla is turning an end-of-the-bench guy in Minnesota into someone he can reasonably rely on to be out there for 20 minutes a night.
As much as this points to the genius of Boston's coaching staff, Josh has to deserve some credit as well. In opting to accept whatever role he was asked to step into, Minott proved that he's willing to act how Mazzulla sees fit and do whatever he needs to for the good of the group. That's a guy who knows what kind of opportunity he has on his hands and is going to do whatever he can to make the most of it.
In accentuating his strengths and masking his weaknesses, Joe Mazzulla is forgiving Josh Minott's inconsistency in the spirit of helping him find his ideal role. That's the kind of situation you dream to be in as a player, and it's a position only the best of the best coaches are able to create.