NBA Notebook: Joe Mazzulla impressing Al Horford at Celtics training camp

Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla took out a pencil, jotted down a few notes and pocketed them before signaling more directions from the sideline. His arms swung back and forth all afternoon. Beginning only his third season ever in this role, the previous two with Division-II Fairmont State, Mazzulla admitted he made mistakes during the preseason opener where Boston blasted the Hornets for 134 points and generated 41 assists. 

"Not yet," Mazzulla said, asked to reveal them. "You'll probably see them eventually."

The moment recalls another from 2007 when West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins watched Mazzulla, who his predecessor John Beilein recruited, throw a pass out-of-bounds, then dribble off his foot in a sloppy scrimmage.

"Take me out, I suck," Huggins remembered Mazzulla telling him. "I said, 'Well, I know, that's ok. We're going to try to get them all out today so this won't ever happen again.' So I left him in there, and let him throw it around some more.'" 

Huggins reflected on Mazzulla's journey at West Virginia with Boston Sports Journal, which paved the way to a rapid coaching ascent that landed him in position to replace Ime Udoka at 34 years old, when the Celtics suspended their Udoka for one year last month. Only Bill Russell coached Boston at a younger age. 

Mazzulla played a defensive role for the Mountaineers, chasing the other team's best guards with a flare for the moment that included a game-winning shot to seal a Rhode Island state championship in high school, translating to the big stage against Duke in the NCAA Tournament two years later. West Virginia reached the Sweet 16 behind his eight assists off the bench to go with 11 rebounds and 13 points. Then, six games into next season, Mazzulla smashed into an opponent's knee on the road at Mississippi, tried to return in the next game for six minutes, and had to undergo surgery that failed to attach his growth plate to his shoulder.

"It was a hard rehab and Joe worked really hard at it," Huggins said. "Then, he said, 'I'm gonna learn how to shoot right-handed,' because he thought it was going to take too long for it to heal up, so he worked on at least trying to make free throws right-handed ... we've had better results." 

The year away from the floor stripped Mazzulla of his identity. Having already been arrested for aggravated assault, hindering apprehension and underage drinking at a Pirates game, he faced charges again in April 2009, for alleged domestic battery in a bar. 

His father told the New York Times that Mazzulla battled mood swings and depression, Huggins decided to suspend the guard rather than dismiss him from the team as he addressed his personal issues. Mazzulla ran, flipped tires and pushed sleds away from the team as he tried to show teammates he understood the consequences of mistakes that Huggins compared to many made by college students. 

"Just to kick somebody off the team would be kind of a cowardly way out," Huggins said. "We tried to bring him in, work with him, sit on him. Make sure they're doing the right things from that point forward, and Joe did that. We made it hard on him, it shouldn't be an easy thing and it wasn't an easy thing."

Nearly one year after his arrest in Morgantown, Mazzulla jumped into the back line role of the 1-3-1 zone against Kentucky in the Elite 8. Huggins knew the Mountaineers couldn't guard the John Wall-powered Wildcats man-to-man, and in a move labeled part desperation and part the suggestion of his 6-2 point guard, Mazzulla began swarming Demarcus Cousins, preventing catches and sliding around him in the zone. 

West Virginia tried the same wrinkle against South Florida earlier in the season and 12 years later, standing courtside at TD Garden, Mazzulla placed Marcus Smart on Hornets center Mason Plumlee in a move based more on feel than any preparation. Mazzulla had called and thanked Huggins for the opportunities that led him there last month, Huggins later quipping he's requesting a row of tickets behind the Celtics bench this season. 

Mazzulla surprised Derrick White by going to a small lineup featuring the two guards, Malcolm Brogdon, Sam Hauser and Jayson Tatum. A contrast to the way Boston played one year ago, the Celtics have played smaller under Mazzulla in search of offensive versatility and in preparation for life early in the season without Robert Williams III. 

“I liked the idea of it. I liked the skill, I liked the speed and I liked the basketball IQ that was out there with that (small) lineup,” Mazzulla said. “If there’s opportunity presented to get to something like that again I think we try it.”

Tight to the vest and an ardent supporter of his players like Brad Stevens, who hired him to his staff in 2019, Mazzulla took over for Udoka in a turbulent moment for the franchise. Assistant head coach Will Hardy accepted the Utah job Mazzulla also interviewed for, nearly heading to the Jazz with Hardy before Udoka promoted Mazzulla to assistant coach. Payton Pritchard, who Mazzulla worked with developmentally and coached during the 2021 Summer League, believed Mazzulla was on his way to earning a top job elsewhere. 

Stevens endorsed Mazzulla as the best person, by far, for the interim position including over himself, which Wyc Grousbeck briefly raised as a possibility that Stevens rebuffed. Most of the core players knew Mazzulla, had grown comfortable with the staff in place and he wasn't going to rock the boat with stylistic changes from what worked last season. Mazzulla leaned on his veteran for assistance and Al Horford, who didn't know Mazzulla as well as others on the team after playing elsewhere from 2019-2021, quickly bought into Stevens' decision.

"I feel like it was good for him to be around us last year to see how things operated and worked," Horford told BSJ at practice this week. "He's done a really good job of just trying to understand our point of view, but also drive home what he wants or what he expects from us as a group. The way that he's come in, I feel like he's earned our respect, he's earned my respect, he's earned our attention right away ... as a coach, you always want to be able to have a feel for your team, for the locker room in order to be successful in this league, I believe, and also being able to hold your group accountable." 

The team hadn't had any of those moments until halftime on Friday against the Hornets, where Blake Griffin recounted Mazzulla digging into the group for not playing with the right effort as many of the starters sat. Mazzulla showed clips preparing for brief and direct adjustments, and the Celtics scored a win in the second half. Griffin lauded Mazzulla's mix of humor and communication skills, keeping his coaching to the point while maintaining a loose and laughter-filled room. He said that's a unique skill for a first-year head coach. 

Griffin had challenged the Nets' urgency in the playoffs after falling behind 0-3 to the Celtics, who he saw as disciplined and then learned more about their maturity upon arrival this week. Griffin, barely younger than Mazzulla, actually played against his Mountaineers and defeated them in double overtime with Oklahoma, a reminder he paid to the head coach upon arrival at practice this week. Mazzulla only scored five points in the defeat. 

"You talk to certain guys and you’re like, ‘that’s a coach,'" Griffin said. "That’s kind of what he is.” 

After seeking professional opportunities, Mazzulla quickly pivoted toward coaching after graduation which stood alongside faith as driving factors that changed him in the years following his college legal trouble. He took an assistant job with Glenville State for two seasons before his former coach Jerrod Calhoun, who had taken the head job at Fairmont State. 

Mazzulla learned there for three seasons, relishing the Division II level that didn't have the politics and pressure of larger jobs. The Celtics organization soon noticed his work and hired him for another job focused on development, with the G-League's then Maine Red Claws coached by Scott Morrison, getting the chance to work with Demetrius Jackson, Jordan Mickey, Abdel Nader and Guerschon Yabusele in 2016-17.

Mazzulla returned to Fairmont for his first head coaching opportunity after Calhoun moved up to a Division I job, dressing up with a button-up and khakis to meet a dress code actually more strict than the one he follows in Boston now under relaxed NBA rules. If he had his choice, he'd wear a hoodie. 

Jayson Tatum grew to love Mazzulla when Stevens brought him to his NBA staff in 2019. He logged long workouts with Aaron Nesmith before games. Brogdon, who arrived at the Celtics' facilities for early-morning workouts, looked to his side and saw Mazzulla there, who emphasized he won't be trading in his minivan or asking for a better parking spot at the facility since his promotion. He even rebounded for Marcus Smart at practice this week. 

"It's fun," Mazzulla said as he chased down a ball. 

Horford didn't get to know the then-assistant well as he worked with others higher on the staff and faced COVID-related restrictions last season. He respected what he saw from afar, but like many within the organization became impressed when Udoka handed Mazzulla, the only assistant holdover on his staff from the Stevens era, a larger assignment crafting game plans against the Heat in the east finals. 

Mazzulla worked hands-on with a historic defensive unit throughout the year. Then he helped the team navigate through Williams III's injury and day-to-day status in those east finals, with games missed by Smart and White, along with coverages that effectively slowed Bam Adebayo. Boston escaped in the final seconds of Game 7. 

"The Miami series," Horford told BSJ. "He was pivotal for us, his input, his insights and that's where I started to notice, personally, kind of the potential in him as one day being a head coach. I think his message is very clear and the way that he portrayed things, we could easily understand it and sometimes you can explain things to people and I feel like it gets lost in translation. l feel like all of us were pretty connected and we understood what was expected. So I believe that's one of his strengths ... it's something that I'm seeing." 

While Mazzulla's work with the Celtics has impressed, the transition allowed Jaylen Brown and Tatum to sound like the leaders of the team, unlike one year ago when both players rebuffed idea of having captains that Udoka pitched. Brown shook off the team's big preseason debut, noting rebounding issues and turnovers they addressed on Wednesday against the Raptors. Practice proved hard than that preseason game, he said. 

Strategically, Mazzulla tinkered with different defenses early in camp, opting to play to the touch in the pick-and-roll and drop his centers while bringing back the aggressive switching in certain lineups prepared to do so. He wants the team to play more dynamically on offense, instituting more complex pick-and-rolls, movement and cutting in the preseason to get more players involved. Who leads the offense is less important to Mazzulla than getting the spacing right, allowing Brown to shoot 59% through a hot start focused on driving to the basket. 

Whatever mistakes Mazzulla made on Sunday might've centered around the timing of substitutions, having to send Hauser and Noah Vonleh back to the bench at one point. On the floor, everything's running smoothly. 

"I don't know," Mazzulla quipped after his first game, asked about what the team thought of his performance. "They haven't told me yet. I'm sure they will, but really just making sure they're comfortable. Making sure our message is clear, simple, concise and we're on the same page about what we need to do." 

Here's what else happened in the NBA this week... 

Atlanta: Received 25 points, eight rebounds and nine assists from Dejounte Murray in his Hawks preseason debut in Abu Dhabi against the Bucks. Trae Young and Murray split time at point guard, feeding John Collins for a 7-for-10 night in his return from an injury-plagued 2022.

Boston: Rounded out an encouraging week of preseason play by debuting Blake Griffin, who scored seven points with nine rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes. Jaylen Brown continued a red-hot start and now has 66 points in three games. Malcolm Brogdon dished 18 assists in his first two appearances and Sam Hauser cashed in on offseason excitement over his growth by starting 12-for-20 from three. Derrick White, shooting 57.1% from the field and 5-for-12 from three, started all three games in place of Robert Williams III. 

Brooklyn: Ben Simmons returned to the floor for an uneven pair of Nets losses where he shot 5-for-9, but turned the ball over eight times and missed a pair of free throws. Kyrie Irving encouraged him at halftime of the Philadelphia opener and emphasized it'll take time for Simmons to acclimate, though his pairing with Nic Claxton looked as awkward as expected and his game reflects some of his past weaknesses. He's mixing in a post hook. Joe Harris sat out of Thursday's loss with ankle soreness after that ailment cost him last season. 

“What I meant was that I hope it’s not like a lingering thing,” Steve Nash said. “I think it’s just a precaution tonight. He’s a little sore and we just want to make sure he gets the proper recovery so that he can come back to full strength.”

Charlotte: Miles Bridges and the Hornets agreed to let his $7.9 million qualifying offer to expire, maintaining the team's restricted free agent rights over him as he awaits trial over domestic violence charges in Los Angeles. That removes the qualifying option as a resolution to his free agency for either side, as Charlotte began the preseason without him and starting P.J. Washington in his place. Former teammates expressed hope he'll return, though another delay to Bridges' preliminary hearing reflected how long the legal process could take. 

"You know, that’s my brother," Terry Rozier said. "We definitely miss him. We’ll let that thing play out. I don’t want to speak too much on that, but we’re waiting for him when things get right. Other than that, we don’t use that as a distraction. We’ve got our team here, and that’s what we’re working with.” 

Cleveland: Donovan Mitchell debuted for the Cavaliers against the 76ers, scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 19 minutes. Mitchell discussed how his change of scenery finally hit him in the moments leading up to the game, while teammates appreciated what the star allowed them to do away from the defensive pressure he commanded. He added five assists in his effort. Evan Mobley (ankle) will await his first game with Mitchell. 

"I think it was the spacing, for me," Garland said. "Just coming off pick and rolls, there's so many threats on the opposite side, and it's just a lot easier ... you can just pick your poison. You have to live with it."

Dallas: Luka Doncic scored 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting with five assists in his preseason debut against Orlando on Friday. Christian Wood added 23 points in 19 minutes off the bench in a dominant 8-for-12 effort, hitting three shots from deep, shining with and without Doncic. Rookie Jaden Hardy scored 16 of Dallas' final 22 points. Jason Kidd left Wood in the game longer to find his rhythm and previewed letting him run offense off rebounds. 

Denver: Jamal Murray left his second preseason game with a minor thigh injury minutes into action. He had returned to the team's lineup on Monday with 10 points in 15 minutes against the Thunder. The pain might've been hamstring related, as he grabbed in that area above his surgically repaired left knee upon exiting. Michael Porter Jr. returned on Monday too, shooting 5-for-7 with 12 points. He scored 20 more on Friday, but played through a poor team showing on defense where Denver allowed Chicago to score 131 points.

Golden State: Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole in the face during a practice exchange where Green approached Poole, who shoved him away, before Green swung back forcefully. The Warriors had initially indicated Green would not be suspended as the team handled the altercation internally, before TMZ revealed the incident on video that looked much worse than many expected. Green missed practice on Friday with Poole returning uninjured, and the team received an apology from Green, who was scheduled to practice Saturday. 

Houston: Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. sprained his left ankle ahead of second preseason game and could miss more time after debuting with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Fellow rookie Tari Eason impressed with 17-for-28 shooting through his first two games, adding 11 offensive rebounds. KJ Martin is preparing to play small forward after returning following his trade request last season. 

Indiana: Tyrese Haliburton is beginning his first training camp as the centerpiece of the Pacers' future, dishing 13 assists through two games and helping rookie Bennedict Mathurin score 34 points on 12-for-25 shooting. Former Celtics forward Aaron Nesmith scored 18 points on 4-for-12 shooting with five rebounds and Daniel Theis rested following his participation deep into the EuroBasket competition with Germany. 

Clippers: John Wall previewed his complementary role next to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, defending and hitting open shots, before the trio returned to the court for their highly anticipated debuts. Leonard shot 3-for-8 in two games, George 4-for-7 and Wall dished three assists in limited minutes as they ease back into action. The Clippers also added 2022 Celtics forward Malik Fitts to their training camp roster this week. 

"I’m going to be rusty," Leonard said. "Legs definitely felt heavy, a lot of lactic acid in them. But as that time goes on, the rhythm will get back, the footwork, the spacing, the timing. Just knowing play calls, getting used to the crowd, getting used to T-Lue calling plays on the fly, my teammates yelling, the breathing, all that is going to come. I already know that, I know it’s a process and that is what I am looking forward to.”

Lakers: Dennis Schroder will join the Lakers this week after facing visa issues returning from EuroBasket competition in Germany. In his absence, Darvin Ham explored different lineups through three losses to open the preseason. Kendrick Nunn played next to Russell Westbrook and Damien Jones in the opener. Patrick Beverley and Austin Reaves joined Westbrook in a three-guard lineup against Phoenix. Then, starters rested in a back-to-back against the Timberwolves. 

Schroder will have a chance to make his own statement on Sunday against the Warriors, while it appears Westbrook will at least start the season playing next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis from the jump like last season. Former Celtic Matt Ryan scored 11 points for LA on Thursday.

Memphis: Jaren Jackson Jr. (foot) has progressed since the start of training camp, doing on-court work without contact and suffering no setbacks in his recovery from offseason surgery to address a fracture. Santi Aldama started two preseason games in his place, scoring a team-high 45 points on 17-for-28 shooting. He can hit threes and grabbed 20 rebounds with five assists and four blocks, showcasing Memphis' depth. The team offered no new timeline for Jackson's return to the floor, originally set at 4-6 months after his June procedure. 

Miami: Rookie Nikola Jovic is still technically finishing his high school coursework as he prepares to make his NBA debut with the Heat. He scored 28 points in three games, shooting 10-for-22 with six three-pointers to begin the preseason. The Heat also came to terms with Tyler Herro on a four-year, $130 million extension that effectively takes him off the trade market after some uncertainty regarding his future through the Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell trade sagas. 

Milwaukee: The Bucks traded Donte DiVincenzo to the Kings at the trade deadline in February, who revealed he expected to land on the Boston Celtics in a deal involving Dennis Schroder. The Celtics ultimately dealt Schroder with other players to Houston for Daniel Theis, and reports at the time indicated Milwaukee's interest in Grant Williams in a DiVincenzo deal, likely a hindrance. 

On the floor in Abu Dhabi, Joe Ingles hit some shots and did some light running on video as he continues his recovery from ACL surgery. Serge Ibaka, who came back in the DiVincenzo deal, scored 15 points with seven rebounds in his return to the floor after sitting in the playoffs. Jevon Carter hit five threes in the loss to Atlanta. 

New Orleans: Zion Williamson made his long-awaited return to game action after fracturing his foot, scoring 13 points in 15 minutes against the Bulls this week. He dunked and attempted a chase down block, before returning with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting against Detroit on Friday. 

New York: Putting up big offensive numbers in the preseason with Jalen Brunson scoring 16 points in his debut against Detroit and Obi Toppin engaging in a dunk fest on Friday on his way to 24 points against the Pacers. RJ Barrett shot 7-for-12 from three in the two wins and Julius Randle grabbed 13 rebounds with eight assists and no turnovers returning from a turbulent 2022. I don't anticipate the Warriors dealing Draymond Green after he punched Jordan Poole at practice, but if they did the Knicks would be an intriguing destination for defense. 

Orlando: Jalen Suggs suffered a left leg injured and needed help getting to the locker room after it buckled underneath him pivoting in traffic against the Mavs on Friday. The second-year guard had X-rays come back negative before an MRI revealed a left knee capsule sprain and bone bruise, avoiding more serious injury.

Philadelphia: French national team head coach Vincent Collet expressed hope Joel Embiid will join his team for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. Embiid became an American citizen this year, opening the door for him to join Team USA instead. An already competitive French squad could add projected 2023 No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Victor Wembanyama by then, a 7-4 sharpshooter who can glide to the rim and captured the imagination of the NBA world with his Las Vegas showcase against fellow top pick contender Scoot Henderson, who will play for G-League Ignite this season. Embiid, a native of Cameroon, holds French citizenship as well. 

"I know he met some of our players to discuss," Collet said. "I think he should play with us. But we will see. We will respect his decision whatever it is." 

Phoenix: Lost a stunning preseason game against the Australian Adelaine 36ers, featuring a mix of borderline NBA level players like Celtics Summer League forward Robert Franks and Australian pros. They finished seventh in the National Basketball League last season, scoring the first win by an international team since Luka Doncic's Real Madrid squad in 2016 over the Thunder. Adelaine shot 24-for-43 from three and overtook the Suns' reserves after their regulars sat with an 11-point halftime lead.

Portland: Rookie Shaedon Sharpe made his Trail Blazers debut and played his first game since high school two seasons ago after a string of injuries derailed his freshman year at Kentucky and Summer League in July. He scored 34 points in his first three preseason games, including 27 against Israel's Maccabi Ra’anana on 12-for-24 shooting. Sharpe shot 10-for-13 in that game and 2-for-7 in the other two against the Clippers, showing aggression. 

Washington: Corey Kispert will miss 4-6 weeks with a sprained left ankle suffered on Sunday. The loss opens a door for rookie Johnny Davis, who has struggled shooting 0-for-12 through two preseason appearances. Bradley Beal returned to the lineup scoring nine points on 4-for-8 shooting in 17 minutes back from wrist surgery that ended his 2022 season early. Kristaps Porzingis leads the team in his first full Wizards training camp with 25 points on 8-for-19 shooting, adding 10 rebounds, six assists, six steals and three blocks.