Here's What Jayson Tatum Praises Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla For

In his second year at the helm, Joe Mazzulla's putting more of his stamp on the Celtics and changing how he manages himself.

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Mazzulla's second season at the helm is still in the exhibition stage, and it's already evident he's more comfortable than when he got thrown in the fire just before training camp a year ago.

The Johnston, Rhode Island, native deserves more credit than he received last season, when he made the leap from sitting behind the bench to becoming the NBA's youngest active head coach at 34, doing so with little warning, the 2022-23 campaign rapidly approaching, and a small coaching staff he didn't pick.

Still, the Boston Celtics came one win from becoming the first team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit, which would've booked them a return trip to the NBA Finals. And if not for Jayson Tatum hurting his ankle on the first play of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, perhaps they would've done so.

But after that chess match against Erik Spoelstra, widely considered the league's best coach, including from this vantage point, Mazzulla got to fill out his staff how he saw fit, adding two of the NBA's top assistants, Charles Lee and Sam Cassell.

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Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

As he grows increasingly comfortable in his position, he's able to put more of his stamp on his team's style of play and on what he has to do to be the best head coach possible.

"I think, initially, it was like when I was an assistant, I really did a good job of being aware of like eight through 15," conveyed the former West Virginia Mountaineers floor general after a recent practice at the Auerbach Center. "That was my job, and I was on the court with those guys every day, and you, kind of, have that sweat equity. 

"Because of my mindset last year, I probably lost the touch with eight through 15 and, kind of, missed and didn't manage some of those relationships as well as I could have, as well as I did as an assistant. And then I think just like being on the court every day, you have a tendency as a head coach, you get stuck in your office sometimes because you're worried about the next game plan or the next thing like that. 

"But getting back to, like, being on the court early and getting your meetings and stuff out of the way so you could be out there. And so, that's another reason (as to) why I feel a little bit more comfortable because that's where I was at my best as an assistant, was being down there with the guys."

His players have noticed and have bought into the changes made by Mazzulla.

"He's helped change the culture a little bit -- in a lot of ways, honestly," Tatum expressed after the Celtics' 123-110 win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. "I feel like he's had his imprint on how he wants things to be, how he wants to practice, how he wants the environment, the vibe. And we've all bought in. Joe has done a great job in, kind of, taking charge (and) doing things the way how he wants. It's his thing; he's the coach. And it's been really cool to see that."

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Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden.

While discussing this team's willingness to sacrifice individually, including who starts and comes off the bench, in pursuit of a common goal, Kristaps Porzingis stated post-game, "All we care about is winning and playing the right way. And we're gonna trust Joe with those kinds of things and the rotations, and there's gonna be some nights somebody's gonna rest, and the starting five is gonna look different. So, we're prepared for it all, and it doesn't really make a huge difference for us."

A more experienced, comfortable, and confident Mazzulla having the buy-in he does from his players is another factor that will go a long way for Boston as it prepares to leave base camp and start a journey it's hoping ends at the NBA's summit.

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum on Working with Sam Cassell: ‘It’s Been Great'

Celtics Praise Al Horford, Who May Have to Sacrifice Most: 'Critical Piece to Our Team and Our Locker Room'

Celtics Embracing Sacrifice in Championship Pursuit: 'Have to Buy into That'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Knicks: Extended Look at Top 6 Yields Mostly Positive Results

The Latest on Celtics' Extension Talks with Derrick White

Al Horford Shares Where Kristaps Porzingis Has Impressed Him Most

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present

Candace Parker on Celtics Trading Marcus Smart, Maximizing Tatum-Brown Tandem, Pat Summitt, and the Sports Matter Initiative

Here's What to Know About Celtics' 2023-24 Schedule

Dwyane Wade Discusses Jayson Tatum's Next Step, Him and Jaylen Brown's Challenge, Heat Culture, Pat Riley, Damian Lillard, and Life After Basketball