“struggling to find his shot”:Joe Mazzulla
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla wouldn’t let a reporter say Jayson Tatum was “struggling to find his shot” following a 121-99 drubbing of the Portland Trail Blazers on March 11 when No. 0 has been posting similar stat lines to Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey — especially since when Maxey does it, he’s deemed unstoppable.
“He had 26, 8, and 5. But when [Tyrese] Maxey did that, you said we couldn’t stop him. … I remember he had like 30 points on 28 shots, and you were like, ‘How come you couldn’t stop him?’ It’s the same thing,” Mazzulla said (h/t Sports Illustrated).
“People are so used to seeing [Tatum] dominate in a different way, but we have a different team this year with different expectations. The most valuable thing that a guy like him can do is do what the game needs and do what the team needs.”
Joe Mazzulla proving to be no-nonsense leader Boston Celtics need
The Celtics don’t have a loud, physical enforcer-type on their roster like a Draymond Green or an Isaiah Stewart — well, maybe it’s a good thing they don’t have the latter — but Mazzulla defends his guys in a more dignified matter off the court.
Kendrick Perkins found this out firsthand when Mazzulla roasted him for spreading falsehoods about his players’ tendencies, which Perk found unaggressive, and his coaching habits. Perkins said he loved that Mazzulla fired back at him.
“I haven’t spoken to Joe Mazzulla, but let me say this: I actually love Joe Mazzulla and him firing back,” Perkins said (h/t NESN). “It’s a good thing. He’s actually embracing that. And all I’m doing right now is preparing him for what’s to come. You hit adversity in the city of champions: Boston. I played there eight and a half years. They’re going to hit adversity. The media is going to attack him, the fan base is gonna attack him throughout a seven-game series, and he needs to be prepared for that. I actually love it.”
Don’t mess with Mazzulla, talking heads. He’s going to bring the receipts and expose you if you don’t come correct when speaking about his players.
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