Joe Mazzulla is facing one of the biggest tests of his young career as an NBA head coach. He must lead a retooling Boston Celtics roster, balancing remaining competitive with developing a string of young and unproven talent..
When speaking to the media on Monday, Oct. 20, All-Star forward Jaylen Brown heaped praise on the job Mazzulla has been doing since the team returned for training camp and preseason.
“I think Joe’s done a great job of setting the tone, the pace, the energy, the style that we need to survive, the style that we need to play every single night,” Brown said. “Obviously, we’re less talented than we have been before, less experienced than we have been before, so this is the style of basketball we have to play. We gotta double down on it if we wanna be successful.”
Brown continued.
“He’s like, maybe been a little crazy, but a little crazy is needed at times. I’m okay with that,” Brown said. “You gotta be a little crazy if you wanna win or outperform people’s expectations, so I think Joe has done a great job.”
Mazzulla faces a tough challenge in finding the right balance between coaching to compete and giving players an opportunity to prove themselves. However, his competitive mindset should allow Boston to be in a strong position moving forward, as Mazzulla will demand commitment and execution on a nightly basis.
The Celtics Will Have a New Style Of Play
With a new-look roster will come a new approach. The Celtics plan to up their tempo this season, focusing on quick decision-making and off-ball movement on offense. However, we shouldn’t expect Boston’s identity as a three-point-heavy team to change, as Mazzulla will undoubtedly continue to favor the math game, at least to some degree.
During the preseason, the Celtics looked to jump passing lanes, pressure drives, and send gap help early and often. The marked difference will likely be the lower volume of switching, with more of an emphasis on funneling players into the paint, where Neemias Queta or Luka Garza will meet them near the rim.
Overall, the Celtics will be a fast, gritty and well-drilled roster. Whether that can bridge the talent gap from recent years remains to be seen.
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Is Day-To-Day
When speaking to the media on Monday, Oct. 20, Brown provided an update on his current injury status.
“I wasn’t too concerned,” Brown told reporters. “ … I was fine. Maybe a little tweak, but nothing crazy.”
Brown suffered a hamstring injury when facing the Toronto Raptors in the Celtics’ final preseason game. Since then, fans have questioned whether he will be ready to face the Philadelphia 76ers in the season opener on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Assuming Brown gets clearance to play, he will undoubtedly step into a leading role within Boston’s offense. Furthermore, he will have a key role on defense, too, as he remains one of the team’s best perimeter defenders. Nevertheless, the Celtics will likely take a cautious approach with Brown’s health.
After all, he’s key to their success this season, so the Lakers can accept him missing some early games if it means he’ll make a big impact throughout the basketball year.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jaylen Brown Gets Candid About Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla appeared first on Heavy Sports.