Joe Mazzulla to return as Celtics head coach, Brad Stevens confirms
Despite a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, Brad Stevens is retaining his head coach.
The Celtics president confirmed that Joe Mazzulla will return to the bench next season after the series loss.
“He’s a terrific leader,” Stevens said Thursday. “He’ll only get better at anything that he can learn from this year, because he’s constantly trying to learn. And he’s accountable.”
Mazzulla, 34, took the helm of the team when Ime Udoka was suspended for the season for violations of team rules, including a reported inappropriate relationship with a female staff member.
Mazzulla will be losing three assistant coaches — Ben Sullivan, Aaron Miles and Mike Mose — who are reportedly leaving to coach alongside Udoka in Houston after he was named Rockets head coach in May.
After Mazzulla led the team to a 57-25 record and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference in his first season, Stevens said was pleased with the results.
The executive will now seek to add at least one assistant coach who has multiple years of NBA experience, ESPN reported.
Brad Stevens confirmed he is keeping Joe Mazzulla for next season. NBAE via Getty Images
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla gestures during the second half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. AP
Stevens said the coach wasn’t the only one he aimed to bring back.
He couldn’t get into specifics around Jaylen Brown’s eligibility to sign a five-year extension and Grant Williams’ restricted free agency due to NBA rules, but remains hopeful he can retain a championship-caliber team.
“I’ve had nothing but great conversations with Jaylen,” Stevens said. “I can say, without a doubt, we want Jaylen to be here. He’s a big part of us. We believe in him and I’m thankful for him.
“I’m really thankful that when those guys have success they come back to work. And when they get beat, they own it and they come back to work. And so I know that’s what they’re about. And that’s hard to find.”
As Mazzulla gets set for his second year leading Boston, the Celtics will look to iron out the kinks and hang a championship banner for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
In 2022, Boston fell short in the NBA Finals to the Warriors in six games.
This year, the Celtics fought back with three wins in a row against the Heat after falling in a 3-0 conference finals hole, but they suffered a blowout 128-102 loss in Game 7 at home.
“Yeah, it’s why I need to be better to figure out what this team needs,” Mazzulla told reporters, answering whether there was a disconnect between him and the team.
Jaylen Brown remains one of the biggest decisions for the Celtics this offseason. NBAE via Getty Images
When asked what the team needs, Mazzulla said, “I don’t know.”
Stevens said he hopes to keep the team he has, even though he mentioned the organization will continue to keep its finger on the pulse of the league for potential pieces that could fit Boston.
“At the end of the day, we love our foundation. We love our core. And that’s really our focus and our priority,” Stevens said.
Source: New York Post
