Sam Cassell Compares Joe Mazzulla's Coaching Style to Doc Rivers'

Bobby Krivitsky | Aug 17, 2024

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla talks during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks during game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Last summer, in Joe Mazzulla's first chance to assemble an NBA coaching staff, he built one of the best in the league.

That included adding Sam Cassell from the Sixers who moved on from Doc Rivers and hired Nick Nurse after Jayson Tatum erupted for a Game 7 record 51 points to propel the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals, overcoming Philadelphia's 3-2 series lead in their second round rivalry clash.

After his 15-year playing career, Cassell, a member of Boston's 2008 title team, coached by Rivers, joined his staff with the Clippers, then went with him to the City of Brotherly Love.

"Doc is an alpha dog, Doc's going to do things the way he's going to do them because he's had success," said Cassell in a recent appearance on The Draymond Green Show. "But Doc's also going to take advice, sometimes, when I say, 'man that's it, chill out,' he'll chill out just like that. 'They've had enough, you've beat them up too much.'"

Cassell's first year on Mazzulla's coaching staff coincided with the latter getting to go from being in survival mode in his first season at the helm to placing more of an imprint on the Celtics.

That applies schematically, including helping Boston improve at winning on the margins and with tactical adjustments like deploying Jrue Holiday in the dunker spot during the NBA Finals, leaving guards like Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic as the rim protector as the Celtics' star wings, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, came charging downhill.

It also goes for infusing his mentality into the team, including getting them to relish adverse situations like requiring multiple fourth-quarter road rallies against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

"When I got with Joe Mazzulla, Joe didn't really have the knowledge of how to deal with the NBA ball player, didn't have the knowledge," said Cassell. "The X's and O's, how to prepare his team to play, oh he's got that. Our coach's locker room, I know it's like no other locker room. We do things a little different in Boston. Everyone has an opinion, our coaches have an opinion, but it's Joe's ultimate decision, and we roll with it."

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