“Supporting Young Coaches in the NBA: Erik Spoelstra Defends Joe Mazzulla Amidst Criticism”

2023-05-21 13:26:00

NBA – As criticism descends on the young Boston coach, Erik Spoelstra supports him for his remarkable work this season.

It only took two defeats in a row, at home, for some to already ask for the head of Joe Mazzulla. Ime Udoka’s former assistant is nevertheless doing a remarkable job for his first season, in a complicated context since he was promoted just before the campaign, following the suspension of Ime Udoka, but his inexperience is pointed out by finger once morest a shoe size like Erik Spoelstra.

The Heat coach, especially with his zone, manages to break the rhythm of the Celtics, and Joe Mazzulla has not yet found the parade. For Erik Spoelstra, Joe Mazzulla “ did a very good job”. « What he is achieving this year is not easy. You have to respect what he does » asks the Heat coach.

Joe Mazzulla has earned the trust of his players

The two men already know each other a little, and they got to know each other during the “bubble”. “We kept running into each other” remembers Erik Spoelstra. “I got to know Joe over the years. He is a very lively man. He is very attentive to others. He is more mature than his age. He’s been in Boston for a while, and I think that’s probably the most important thing. He knows what is important for this franchise and he has a lot of experience with these players. He earned their trust. »

For Marcus Smart, it’s unfair to point the finger at Joe Mazzulla and it’s up to the players to take responsibility. “Joe is the type to not get us out of trouble when we play badly,”

reports the former best defender in the NBA. “We have to look in a mirror. Joe can call a time-out, and then what? We come back on the field and we do the same thing? It’s our fault. »

Adapt your mentality to the level of play

For the Celtics coach, his players have a mindset problem. After Game 1, Jayson Tatum explained that the Celtics had taken the game as a regular season game. Unlike the Heat.

“When you’re playing at a certain level, especially once morest a team like this, you can’t just think what you’ve done in the past is good enough” concluded Joe Mazzulla. “So we have to adapt our mindset. Regardless of what we do in a quarter, we have to increase our level of intensity, we have to change our mindset, knowing that they are going to respond. That’s what this series is all regarding: how long can we remain the most competitive, physical and disciplined basketball team? »

For now, only three quarters per game, and that’s not enough.

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