Jayson Tatum reacts to the Celtics’ blowout win over the Phoenix Suns to start their west coast road trip. Tatum discusses the team’s mentality and why no one is celebrating after their 21-5 start to the season.
The Boston Celtics coaching staff features a couple former NBA and college basketball players, and another one had a conversation about potentially joining the group before the 2022-23 season.
J.J. Redick played 15 seasons between six teams, most notably the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers. Redick, who retired in 2021, has forged a successful media career that includes work for ESPN and his podcast, "The Old Man and the Three".
Could he get into coaching at some point?
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Redick played golf with Joe Mazzulla shortly after he became the Celtics' interim head coach in September, and they talked about the possibility of the former Duke star joining Boston's coaching staff.
"The Ime (Udoka) thing happens, that's on a Thursday. I happened to be going up to Boston that weekend to see a high school friend. ... One thing leads to another, Sunday morning of that weekend, I'm playing golf with Joe, talking about joining your staff," Redick told Celtics guard Derrick White on the latest episode of "The Old Man and the Three Podcast". "I was just so impressed by him. I spent four-and-a-half hours with him."
Redick's praise of Mazzulla's coaching job didn't stop there.
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“He has done a remarkable job for where you guys were, coming off the pressure situation with Ime (Udoka),” Redick said. “He has stepped in and it seems like it’s been pretty seamless, particularly the improvement on offense.”
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The Celtics' offense has been historically good over the first quarter of the season. Boston owns the league's best record at 21-5 and ranks No. 1 in points per game, No. 3 in field goal percentage, No. 1 in 3-point percentage, No. 1 in free throw percentage and No. 1 in offensive rating.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are playing at an All-NBA level, and the defense has been above average despite starting center Robert Williams not playing any games to this point as he rehabs a knee injury.
Mazzulla is definitely among the early favorites for the Red Auerbach Trophy as the league's coach of the year.
