Las Vegas -- Near the end of the season, Joe Mazzulla approached Amile Jefferson. His message? Informing the former Duke Blue Devil that he would be the Boston Celtics' next Summer League head coach -- a role his unique perspective has him primed for. It's an opportunity that fosters growth. It's the chance to sit at the helm and gain invaluable experience.
Recently, it has aided the careers of Celtics' coaches like Matt Reynolds, D.J. MacLeay, and Tony Dobbins. Jefferson has sought the counsel of all three to help prepare him for his turn.
"The best advice I got from them is just like enjoy it, do what you want, experiment, try things, make it digestible for the guys, but make them have to learn something," said Jefferson after his team's first practice in Sin City. "Those three guys have been super helpful for me, not only for Summer League but [for] my entire coaching career."
For Amile Jefferson, coaching starts with relationships
The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native is far from shy. He describes himself as loud by nature. He's also communicative and does an excellent job of connecting with people. A coach must have the trust of their players. Those individuals must know that this figure cares about them as people, on and off the court. And their bench boss must be able to read who needs what and when.
For Jefferson, the ability to do so and to cultivate relationships with those he's coaching is the bedrock of how he operates in the role he transitioned to after his playing career.
"The cool thing for me is, almost every guy on our roster, I've seen or interacted with, either as a player, either as a coach, recruiting them, or seeing them during a pre-draft workout, so we have already built a relationship," conveyed Jefferson, a day before he'll have the reins for his first Summer League game in the A chair when the Celtics face the Toronto Raptors at Cox Pavilion at 9 PM ET. "So, whether I'm yelling at them, hugging them, or kicking them in the butt because they did something I didn't like, for me, it's about the relationship."
For a former NBA forward and Summer League participant, Jefferson understands the urgency of those whom he's coaching. Some of them are fighting for their careers. Their business trip to Las Vegas is a window of opportunity, but time is precious. They must maximize it. Having a head coach who has lived that experience likely provides a degree of comfort. It should help both parties get the best from each other. Remember, it's not just the players who are striving to rise through the ranks.
Amile Jefferson's first impressions of Chris Cenac Jr.
Friday isn't just Jefferson's debut as a head coach; it's also Chris Cenac Jr.'s first game as a professional. The Celtics selected the power forward and center from the University of Houston with the No. 27 overall pick in the first round of this year's NBA Draft.
As Brad Stevens discussed later that night, Cenac is raw, but his motor and response to being in Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson's hard-nosed program spoke volumes about his character. Given his immense upside, that was a compelling factor in who Boston drafted that night.
That's why it's no surprise that something that has stood out to Jefferson is the 19-year-old's willingness to do whatever the team asks of him. It's an endearing quality. It's also a winning characteristic.
Working with him in the practices leading up to Summer League, Jefferson was also struck by the rookies' massive mitts. Beyond having giant hands, which caught his Sin City head coach's attention, Cenac's mobility did the same.
Standing nearly seven feet tall and moving as well as he does is a significant part of why the Louisiana native is brimming with potential. Between that and his pterodactyl-like 7'5" wingspan and 9'0.5" standing reach, he could grow into a force on the defensive side of the ball.
As Cenac works to put this enticing package together, Jefferson already sees growth in him since he joined the professional ranks. That's a testament to an individual whose character and commitment mesh with a Celtics organization that puts a premium on its culture. They are diligent about who they bring into their operation. The former Cougar thrived under Sampson. He responded well to being challenged. It wasn't an accident that he found himself shipping up to Boston.
The promising blend of talent and intangibles that made him the Celtics' first-round pick will be on display for the first time on an NBA stage on Friday, as he and Jefferson relish what that night represents to them.
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