Joe Mazzulla is, of course, the Celtics’ head coach. But according to one of his new pupils, he isn’t a fan of that title.
Veteran guard Anfernee Simons, who came over from Portland in the Jrue Holiday trade, said he quickly learned that the 37-year-old Mazzulla doesn’t view himself as a “coach” in the traditional sense.
“I mean, first of all, he doesn’t like to be called a coach,” Simons said Wednesday after Boston’s second training camp practice. “So, it’s more of a — I can’t even explain the relationship. It’s like almost as a mentor, in a way. Obviously, he’s our coach, technically, but out there, he’s pushing us to be the best, no matter how that looks. And so, it’s really not a coach relationship, more like a mentor.”
Mazzulla’s commitment to building off-the-court relationships has resonated with several Celtics newcomers. Chris Boucher noted how Mazzulla attended Boucher’s baptism the week before camp began. Josh Minott said he already would “run through a wall for him, truthfully,” moments after calling the eccentric bench boss “a little bit of a weirdo.”
“It makes you want to go out there and play for him even more when you have that connection off the court, and he’s really invested in your off-the-court life,” said Simons, who spent his first seven NBA seasons with the Trail Blazers. “And so you can see that he does that with everybody, including me, asking about the kids and dropping off stuff at the house. You know, just being connected with the players off the court, and that goes a long way, just building relationships, especially with new players coming in and might not be as comfortable as I want to be. And he’s just trying to bridge that gap and make me more comfortable even faster.”
Simons simply calls Mazzulla “Joe.” The coach said he prefers it that way.
“Those guys are out there,” Mazzulla said. “They’re the ones that are playing. They’re the ones that have been competing for many years, and I’m relatively around the same age, and I think there’s other ways to build a mutual respect besides the title and just finding those ways to be able to do that.”
Mazzulla, who still is the NBA’s youngest head coach, said connecting with his players away from the court is a vital part of his job. He’s had a lot on his plate from that perspective over the past few months, as Boston turned over a third of its 15-man roster this offseason.
“I think you just build a connection, have an understanding that together you understand what winning looks like, but you also care about the person and the player,” Mazzulla said. “(It) just allows you to build a connection. Just trust that what you’re doing is in the best interest of each player and the best interest of the team, and give us the best chance to win.”
Building those connections helps Mazzulla deliver blunt feedback when necessary.
“He cares for everybody that he coaches, and it allows for him to coach us hard,” Baylor Scheierman said. “We don’t take it too personal because you know he just cares for us to put us in the best spots to help us win.”
He’s already done so with Simons, a prolific scorer who’s struggled defensively throughout his career.
“Yeah, he brought it up,” Simons said of his defense. “Obviously in his Joe way, he’s going to throw jabs at you and talk smack to you, but I enjoy it. That’s what he’s challenging me with, so I’m taking on the challenge and he can talk smack all day about it, and I’m going to take it in and try to be better the next day.”
Mazzulla and his staff have stressed attention to detail and constant work rate at that end of the court, Simons said.
“It’s just a matter of if I want to do it or not,” the 26-year-old said before the Celtics’ first camp practice. “It’s really that simple. Like I said, coming into a culture like this, you have to be able to adapt, or you’re not going to be in the position that you want to be in, whether it’s playing or not playing. To me, it’s really that simple. That’s the honest conversations we’ve had about it. (Mazzulla) always says that you’re not as bad as people think you are. That’s good to hear. But I also got to do the work, too, to get better on that end and focus in on exactly what we need to do on the defensive end. I’m pretty excited about being pushed to a new level, which I can reach.”
Scheierman building
Scheierman, the Celtics’ 2024 first-round draft pick, believes the many days he spent at Boston’s practice facility this summer will pay off when the season begins later this month.
“(I was) just working on my body a lot, my conditioning,” the second-year pro said. “I think it’s helped me a lot these last couple days, being able to defend, get out and run. Finish through contact, things like that. A lot of the work I did in the summer is starting to come to light now.”
Drafted 30th overall out of Creighton, Scheierman played sparingly on a vet-heavy Celtics team last season. He flashed potential in a series of late-season appearances, however, most notably a 20-point outing against Brooklyn in which he went 6-for-7 from 3-point range in 16 minutes off the bench.
Scheierman shot the ball poorly at the NBA Summer League this offseason (27.4%; 20.5% from three), but he led the Summer C’s in assists (8.4) while averaging 2.8 steals per game. He should see more opportunities to utilize his vision, playmaking ability and improved defense in Year 2, though he’ll need to pair those with a reliable shot if he hopes to earn a permanent spot in Mazzulla’s rotation.
“For me, it’s just being a playmaker on both sides of the ball,” the 6-foot-6 wing said. “Defensively, just being in the right spots, and offensively, just bringing that swagger, making shots and crashing the offensive glass.”
A sophomore breakthrough from Scheierman — who’s on a cheap rookie contract that runs through 2027-28 — would be a big boost for Boston. The Celtics lack proven wing options outside of Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser and the rehabbing Jayson Tatum, who will miss at least the first several months of the season while he recovers from Achilles surgery.
Third-year pro Jordan Walsh, 22-year-old free agent pickup Minott and first-round rookie Hugo Gonzalez also will be part of that mix this season.
“I’m just focused on how can I impact the team in a positive way,” Scheierman said. “If opportunities come my way, I just want to be ready for them.”
Farewell, Al
The Celtics shared a farewell message to Al Horford after the veteran big man officially signed with the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. The veteran big man played seven seasons in Boston and was an integral part of the 2023-24 championship team.
“The ultimate leader in the locker room, on the court and in the community,” the message read. “Thank you for everything, Champ.”
Mazzulla also expressed his appreciation for Horford.
“He’s a great guy, great Celtic, means a lot,” he said. “I’m grateful for the relationship that we had. It’s impressive the professionalism that he’d had, and I’m grateful we’ve been able to share something together. Obviously, just who he is as a person, as a player, it’s bigger than basketball. He’s allowed me into his basketball life but also his family, so now we get to compete against each other.”