Sam Cassell’s Work With Tyrese Maxey Helped Earn Celtics Job

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla liked what he saw out of Sam Cassell's teaching moments with Tyrese Maxey.

During his time as one of Doc Rivers’ top assistants on the Philadelphia 76ers, Sam Cassell was often seen working directly with the team’s 2020 first-round pick, Tyrese Maxey.

Since the former Kentucky guard joined the 76ers during Rivers’ first season as Philadelphia’s head coach, Maxey benefitted from learning from one of the NBA’s most productive guards back when he played. And as good as Cassell was on the court, he’s becoming even more popular as a coaching prospect as each year passes.

At this point, Cassell is on his fourth bench as an assistant. After getting his coaching start with the Washington Wizards in 2009, Cassell joined Rivers on the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014. When Rivers parted ways with the Clippers and took up a job on the Sixers, Cassell followed along.

After the Sixers dropped their second-round series against the Boston Celtics during the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Rivers was fired and replaced by former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. Once Nurse took over, the Sixers’ coaching staff was seeing turnover, and Cassell was one of the first assistants to find a new opportunity elsewhere, as he landed with the Celtics, getting hired by Joe Mazzulla.

Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey facing the Toronto Raptors in March 2023 / USA Today

Recently, Mazzulla revealed that Cassell’s direct work with Tyrese Maxey left an impression on him prior to his days of being the head coach of the Celtics.

“My first couple years in the league, Sam would work with Maxey. We had the same shooting times as our guys, so I was always able to observe kind of what Sam was doing pregame with Maxey and with some of the other players,” Mazzulla told reporters recently.

“During the hiring process, kind of talking to Sam and talking to Doc [Rivers] about what Doc relied on Sam for and what he was able to do, it just made the most sense.”

Cassell has a reputation for helping notable NBA guards take their talents to the next level. During his tenure in Washington, Cassell was showered with credit for helping John Wall boost his three-point percentage and jump shot in general.

Tyrese Maxey credited the coach for having a similar impact during their three years working together on the Sixers.

Coming out of Kentucky, Maxey evidently had the talent to get a call as a lottery selection or around it. When the Sixers snagged him at No. 21, he entered the NBA after averaging 43 percent from the field and just 29 percent from three. In each of his first three seasons in the league, Maxey took a step in a better direction.

During his rookie season, Maxey drained 46 percent of his shots, making just 30 percent of his threes. By year two, he averaged 49 percent from the field, drilling 42 percent of his threes. Then, last season, Maxey knocked down 48 percent of his shots while knocking down a career-high 43 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.

While Maxey’s pure talent and tireless work ethic is the primary reason behind his boost in efficiency, his work with Cassell was never overlooked, and the Celtics took notice.

“Sam’s been through every situation in the game as well,” Mazzulla added. “He’s worked with players on the court and off the court. As much as he’s worked with Jayson [Tatum], we need him to have one-on-one conversations with Jaylen [Brown] to develop Jaylen. Sam worked out with Dalano [Banton] yesterday. Sam’s just been around a long time. He’s been relied upon by really good coaches to just kind of navigate the roster because of all his experience.”

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Despite numerous interviews for head coaching positions, including one with the 76ers this past offseason, Cassell still hasn’t received the opportunity to run his own roster. Perhaps his work with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, adding to a resume of coaching duos like Maxey and James Harden, could be the final level before he reaches the chance to win the head coach label in the NBA.