As things stand in the betting world, the front-runner for the NBA’s coach of the year award is not Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, even after his team has eclipsed the 50-win mark despite playing the first four-plus months without star Jayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles tendon in last year’s playoffs.
It’s JB Bickerstaff of the Pistons who leads the way according to most sports books, and that’s probably a good thing as far as the league is concerned. That’s because Mazzulla’s speech could potentially get a little awkward.
Mazzulla has taken pride, it seems, in shooting from the hip during press conferences and sometimes taking contrarian positions. He did just that on Monday, before the Celtics played the Hawks on the road, the day after the team crossed the 50-win mark.
Joe Mazzulla: ‘It’s a Stupid Award’
Mazzulla was asked about the NBA’s Coach of the Year Award and his spot in the potential voting. He has never won the award, though he finished third in the voting in 2022-23, his first season as a head coach when he was called into action just before the start of the season after the abrupt dismissal of Ime Udoka.
Mazzulla did not hold back on his thoughts about the COY award.
“I think it’s a stupid award, they shouldn’t have it,” he said. “And it’s more about the players and it’s more about the work that the staff puts in. It’s just that simple. I really don’t ever want to be asked or talked about it again. It’s just that dumb. So, the players play, it’s about them. Staff works their ass off. Grateful for them.”
While Mazzulla is being somewhat of a spoilsport about being recognized for a job well done, there’s probably some trepidation about winning Coach of the Year in the NBA anyway. The last two winners of the award, Mark Daigneault of the Thunder and Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers, are still employed by the teams for which they won it, but on average, the seven previous coaches to win the award were gone after an average of just under 2.5 years.
Celtics Made Significant Changes
Still, all things considered, Mazzulla does belong among the top candidates for Coach of the Year given all that he has had to guide the Celtics through this season. The Tatum injury is the most obvious, but Boston also had to push through financial trades that sent out the likes of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, while also letting mainstays like Al Horford and Luke Kornet go.
But Mazzulla has elevated players like Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta in their place, and kept the Celtics going with the same, tough-minded approach despite the changes. Hall of Famer Robert Parish is among those impressed.
He told Jon Karalis of SI.com, “It starts with the coaching. Coach Mazzulla, first of all, and let’s go a step up higher — Brad Stevens. I like the architect, the toughness, the mental and physical toughness that started with Brad Stevens on down to Coach Mazzulla. And the team reflects that toughness.”
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