Although he’s only been involved in 40 games under Joe Mazzulla’s leadership, Kristaps Porzingis believes that the Boston Celtics head coach is not receiving the recognition he deserves. This sentiment persists even after Mazzulla achieved his 100th win as the Cs’ coach on February 14, securing a commanding victory over the Brooklyn Nets at the TD Garden with a score of 136-86.
“I think just seeing how people view him maybe from the outside a little bit, I think he’s very underrated,” Porzingis stated (via MassLive). “People don’t appreciate who he is and how he coaches because he’s very young; you can always blame it on him and stuff like that. But he’s a very underrated coach. Very underrated and different. And yeah, I think people don’t see who he really is and how he coaches, and it’s easy to not give him credit because of the talent we have, no? But he deserves a lot of credit. He does deserve a lot of credit, and the rest of the coaching staff also deserves a lot of credit.”
One potential explanation for Mazzulla’s underrated status could be his humility and focus on the team’s success rather than personal acclaim.
Despite reaching the milestone of 100 wins, Joe Mazzulla attributes the achievement to the collective effort of his Boston Celtics roster.
Mazzulla’s accomplishment is notable considering he was thrust into the role of interim head coach just before the start of the team’s 2022–23 training camp. Moreover, he had to navigate the departure of Marcus Smart, a key player and locker room leader, during his inaugural offseason.
True to his character, Mazzulla redirected the focus onto his team, acknowledging their pivotal role in his journey from interim to permanent head coach solely through winning.
“I mean, I told the guys, I think it’s something to be proud of, something to be grateful for, and I think it’s a testament to the people you have around you,” Mazzulla reflected. “I think in a business where individual success is highly talked about on a nightly basis, the box scores and stuff like that, having a group of people that you can share your success with is important. It really starts with the players, and I always tell them that I can’t be who I am if they don’t let me, and I appreciate that.
“That’s a gift in coaching; you can always be in a situation where you don’t have empowerment, or you don’t have guys that allow you to be yourself. It’s an important gift that the players give me, and they give it to each other. And I think that’s important for us to continue to grow. So I’m grateful for that.”
As Mazzulla steadily achieves more milestones, with win No. 300 on the horizon in year four, the Boston Celtics appear increasingly poised for championship contention with each passing day.
However, it’s impossible to overlook the fact that an early playoff departure could potentially mark the conclusion of what has been an exceptionally triumphant coaching tenure.
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