Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla forging his own path as an NBA coach
By Gary Washburn Globe Staff,Updated October 31, 2022, 7:59 p.m.

What we’re learning is stylistically, Joe Mazzulla is his own man with his own concepts as the Celtics coach.

He does not like calling timeouts to stop opponent runs, a method that may backfire short term but could serve as an educational opportunity for a team that has endured its share of lapses in this early season.

As the Washington Wizards rallied from a 51-27 deficit late in the first half Sunday, Mazzulla refrained from calling a timeout, only talking to his team during a Wizards mandatory timeout with 2 minutes, 34 minutes left in the first half.

The Celtics watched their lead whittled to 11 points by halftime. But after the break, the Celtics were able to return to their good habits and take control with defense.

Timeouts during opponent surges are customary for NBA coaches. Stopping play is a means of curtailing the momentum, reiterating the game plan and getting the players a breather.

But for some coaches, they relish the opportunity to see how their team responds to adversity. For decades, Phil Jackson would sit for several minutes, legs crossed and watch his Bulls try to maneuver their way out of deficits and opponent runs.

Mazzulla appears to have the same philosophy, even if it might cost his team some leads and maybe some games.

One of the biggest questions when Mazzulla took over for Ime Udoka was his style or did he have one? He spent three seasons as an assistant and was beginning to prepare himself for a head-coaching opportunity when he interviewed for the Utah Jazz job that eventually went to fellow Celtics assistant Will Hardy.

But Mazzulla is such a man of few words; he offered little hints to his coaching philosophy. Celtics faithful have seen some of his tendencies on the fly, such as refraining from timeouts, being meticulous when opting for coach’s challenges — he’s undefeated so far — and being liberal with his playing rotations.

The unique aspect of Mazzulla’s coaching tenure is he’s going to have to learn on the fly, fail in some hunches that could benefit the Celtics long term. The Celtics’ two losses have been a byproduct of porous defense and frustrations with officials against Chicago and pick-and-roll breakdowns against Cleveland that allowed its hot shooters to attempt easier 3-point attempts.

Mazzulla appeared convinced the Celtics issues can be fixed and he’s definitely planning on molding this year’s team in his style, even if that style is still being conceived.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/31/sports/celtics-joe-mazzulla-forging-his-own-path-an-nba-coach/