This is a Blog that asks two questions that could be probably answered with a well-worded google search, but wanted to write it anyway because I love what Joe Mazzulla has done for the Celtics this year and I’m not that skilled at Google. So without further ado let’s discuss the Joe Mazulla Rookie Year Conundum – Can Joe set the record for most wins by a rookie head coach? And is it even fair if he does?
Before we get to the core of my question, let’s breakdown the current record for wins as a rookie coach. Currently, Steve Kerr holds the record with 67 wins in the 2014-15 Season with the Golden State Warriors. Talk about being dealt a great hand… he gets the keys to a 51 win team with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green and guides them to the NBA Championship. Not a bad first year.
Now on to Joe… When I asked whether he could beat the 67-win record, I’m not asking if he physically can, but rather is he eligible? The reason I ask is because Mazzulla is still technically the “Interim” Head Coach for the team. For those of you who don’t know, the Celtics had quite the off-season and Mazzulla had a front row seat to the coaching drama. To provide you the cliff notes version in case Those Sporks is your only news source, it turns out Ime Udoka who took the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first year last season is a scum-bug who cheated on his smoke show fiance with a member of the Celtics staff, then made some incredibly inappropriate comments towards her. Just as the season was about to start, the Celtics suspended him for the year and promoted Mazzulla to “Interim Head Coach” for this season. In regards to Udoka, screw that guy, I hope he never steps foot in Boston again. But technically, HE is still the head coach so while Mazzulla gets credit for the wins. Therefore I go back to the eligibilty question at hand… what are the rules in this scenario? He wasn’t supposed to be the head coach, and was a backup plan. Is he eligible for “Coach of the Year”?
On a different note, is it fair for Mazzulla to get the record (assuming he does) considering this was a situation that has never played out before? Most of the time when a new coach is hired, it’s because the team severely underperformed and the team decided to move in a different direction. Other than the previously mentioned Steve Kerr, I can’t think of a coach who has been handed the keys to a team that was two wins away from the NBA Championship last year.
If Mazzulla does get to 68 wins (and as a Celtics fan I hope he does), I think there should be an asterisk next to his name in the record book. He deserves to be recognized, but don’t I think he should get the record over Steve Kerr who took the Warriors from a 51 win team to NBA Champions. Kerr was the official head coach on day 1 of the season while Mazzulla is the backup plan.
Regardless of how this season and the record books shake out, I think more people should be talking about the job Mazzulla has done this year because it’s been incredible. Sure, he inherited a team that was two wins from the NBA Finals and stars two of the top young players in the league, but you still have to get the job done- and clean-up what I’m sure was a very messy locker room situation. He got the team to buy into his vison and they’ve been without a doubt the best team this year in the NBA. I’m looking forward to the Celtics removing the Interim tag, and making this officially Joe Mazzulla’s team!!
