Joe Mazzulla Proved He Belongs

Boston need to realize what they have in Joe Mazzulla.

Only four teams in the history of the NBA have been able to come back from a 3-0 series deficit in the playoffs to tie it up. All four of them fell in Game 7.

Joe Mazzulla's Boston Celtics joined the 1951 New York Knicks, 1994 Utah Jazz, and 2003 Portland Trail Blazers on that list Monday night. Although it was a disappointing end to the season, it's one that the Celtics and its fans should be thrilled about.

"It's one of the best locker rooms I've been a part of," Mazzulla said in his postgame press conference. "The guys cared. They gave it everything they had. That's the most important thing to take from this. Obviously, we didn't achieve our goal. We didn't win. We failed in that regard but it's not because the guys didn't have a sense of togetherness, character, and just who they are as people."

Mazzulla, a rookie head coach, was able to step into the role just days before the season started and got everyone to buy in, win a bunch of games, and make it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. What gets lost in all this is that Mazzulla didn't pick this team. He didn't have a say in the construction of the roster, the same one that has constantly fallen short regardless of who is head coach. And he didn't have a full offseason to prepare for this opportunity. 

Mazzulla had to be concerned with his role on the coaching staff rather than understanding lineups, substitutions, drawing up plays, calling out defenses, etc. Sure, he grew accustomed to it as the season went on but having a full offseason would have made for a much smoother transition.

It's not like the guy completely collapsed in big-time moments or went 41-41 with a loaded roster. He went toe-to-toe with arguably one of the top coaches in the NBA, Erik Spoelstra, and fell short. It happens. 

The thing the Celtics can't do is overreact and think Mazzulla isn't capable of getting the job done. We've already seen how much of a short leash coaches in the NBA have when Doc Rivers, Nick Nurse, and Monty Williams were all canned. Apparently taking your team to the doorstep of the Finals doesn't mean you're safe.

In my opinion, this is more of a front office problem than a coaching problem. Clearly, the Celtics have the star power to be a contender in the East every season. But they have been missing elite point guard play along with a few depth pieces to really put this roster over the top. Boston's starting five remains under contract for next season but that doesn't mean they should just sit on their hands and do nothing. If I'm Brad Stevens I'm giving Joe Mazzulla everything needed to win an NBA Championship. The future of the Celtics is up to how the front office performs. Not Joe Mazzulla. 

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