Grant Williams on Joe Mazzulla’s unconventional coaching style: “He calls a timeout and sometimes he doesn’t even say any words
Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams says that interim head coach Joe Mazzulla has an unconventional coaching style. The team is doing well with the best record in the league with a 25-10 record. The team overcame a recent slump and has won three straight games. The most notable of the recent wins was a statement win against Eastern Conference contender Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day.
“He calls a timeout and sometimes he doesn’t even say any words" - Grant Williams
With Joe as interim head coach, the team has hit the ground running, which is impressive given that the team only found out he would be in this position at the start of training camp. He was promoted after coach Ime Udoku was suspended for the season. Williams and the other players spoke with "The Athletic's" Jay King about their current coach's approach.
“The same way he’s acting now, is the same way he’s always acted." - Marcus Smart
The players were not surprised by Mazzulla’s even-keeled approach due to the fact that he has been around most of the team since 2019 when took the position as an assistant coach. Mazzulla's situation as an interim coach isn’t like most situations, he inherited a good team to work with. The Celtics reached the NBA Finals last season and retained the majority of their roster. A team filled with veterans, but not an old team by any means.
Grant Williams on Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla:
“He calls a timeout and sometimes he doesn’t even say any words. He just calls that timeout, we sit there and we talk to one another. We do what we need to do.”
(via @ByJayKing, theathletic.com/4036568/2022/1…) https://t.co/jpJuYSCiho
It also helps that the team is led by two All-Stars in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. This season, Tatum has emerged as a possible MVP candidate, and Brown has been a consistent scorer to support Tatum. If the team maintains its strong play, it could return to the NBA Finals.
How do the Celtics handle Mazzulla's success?
Joe Mazzulla is coaching the best team in the league, but he is the interim coach. The team suspended Ime Udoka for a violation of team rules and policy. Because they didn’t fire Udoka there is a possibility of the team bringing him back next season. The question is do they want to disrupt the success that the team has enjoyed under Mazzulla?
If the team gets back to the NBA Finals with him at the helm, does the Celtics organization want to pivot back to Udoka and his baggage? If the team wins the NBA Championship, how do you replace the coach who got them there, even though Ime coached them to the Finals last season? If the team doesn’t make Joe the permanent head coach, another team will likely snatch him up. Having two coaches to choose from may be a good problem to have.