Celtics Media Day

[radiohead]

https://www.youtube.com/live/hrpC9EiPCy4?si=a4nA3z6PLYMNockn

It was nice seeing Joe smiling and goofing around with Eddie House and company.

[Roy H.]

Bobby Manning @RealBobManning
about 24 minutes ago
Asked Joe about rebuilding C's defensive identity. Said he can do better job emphasizing it. He explained that he views defense as mandatory, "an admission ticket," and it didn't strike him previously as something that needed emphasis.

Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 25 minutes ago
Joe Mazzulla: "Defense is what gets you in the door. Defense is the admission ticket." He forgets to tell the team, cause it's obvious: "Maybe it’s cause I sucked at offense, so I had to play defense. Nobody had to remind me to play defense because I couldn’t do anything else."

Jay King @ByJayKing
about 25 minutes ago
Joe Mazzulla said he didn’t necessarily emphasize defense enough because the need to guard was always so obvious to him. Said he learned last year that he needs to stress even the things that are obvious to him, because they might not be obvious to everyone.

God, I forgot how much I hated this guy in front of a microphone.

An NBA coach just didn't realize that it was important to emphasize defense?  It basically slipped his mind?  And even now, he seems to have the message that it needs to be talked about, but will he actually practice it?  Will he break down the lack of defense on film?

It's such an odd, stupid thing to say.  I mean, he's got eyes, right?  He sees the guys not playing D properly.  He didn't think to say anything?

Couldn't Joe have just skipped today, and allowed some of us to continue flying high after the Jrue deal?

[jambr380]

God, I forgot how much I hated this guy in front of a microphone.

An NBA coach just didn't realize that it was important to emphasize defense?  It basically slipped his mind?  And even now, he seems to have the message that it needs to be talked about, but will he actually practice it?  Will he break down the lack of defense on film?

It's such an odd, stupid thing to say.  I mean, he's got eyes, right?  He sees the guys not playing D properly.  He didn't think to say anything?

Couldn't Joe have just skipped today, and allowed some of us to continue flying high after the Jrue deal?

I get your concern, but at least we have some upper-tier assistant coaches backing him up this year. It's amazing we got as far as we did after Stoudamire skipped town.

[johnnygreen]

What Joe said about defense made sense. Why should a head coach have to tell his players to play defense? That would be like telling his players that they need to get the ball through the rim inorder to score.

[celticinorlando]

Joe actually has real assistants this season. This has to help right?

[Kuberski33]

I would think (hope) that Joe is on a short leash with Cassel now here. Defense has been this team's calling card for several seasons and that went out the window last season. This team is also going to require some solid roster management on the part of the coach - resting his key guys and then integrating enough of the bench to develop a decent rotation - with guys ready to step in when a starter gets a night off.

Is Joe up to it?  To date he's shown no evidence that he is.  We shall see.

[Roy H.]

What Joe said about defense made sense. Why should a head coach have to tell his players to play defense? That would be like telling his players that they need to get the ball through the rim inorder to score.

Should Joe help the players figure out how to put the ball through the hoop?

If putting the ball through the hoop isn't working, should he adjust?  If players are coasting on that end, should he call out players?  Emphasize new schemes? 

It's funny that you (and Joe) see NBA offense and defense as "score the ball" and "don't let them score the ball", with no other coaching emphasis required.

[Atzar]

I never know what to take seriously coming from Joe in interviews, so I default to 'nothing'. 

I assume that he didn't literally forget to tell his guys to defend, and if he did, then he should have been fired into the sun long before he ever became head coach.  I do agree, however, that his media day snark did kill whatever buzz I had leftover from yesterday.  I like our roster but our coach scares the s*** out of me.

[johnnygreen]

What Joe said about defense made sense. Why should a head coach have to tell his players to play defense? That would be like telling his players that they need to get the ball through the rim inorder to score.

Should Joe help the players figure out how to put the ball through the hoop?

If putting the ball through the hoop isn't working, should he adjust?  If players are coasting on that end, should he call out players?  Emphasize new schemes? 

It's funny that you (and Joe) see NBA offense and defense as "score the ball" and "don't let them score the ball", with no other coaching emphasis required.

I'm just saying a head coach should never have to tell his players to put effort in on defense. However, a coach can teach player how to defend or come up with a scheme.

[Kernewek]

I haven't watched the interview, but the remarks read as fairly flippant. As such, it's a weird thing to take very seriously, but I can see how it grates.

[Roy H.]

What Joe said about defense made sense. Why should a head coach have to tell his players to play defense? That would be like telling his players that they need to get the ball through the rim inorder to score.

Should Joe help the players figure out how to put the ball through the hoop?

If putting the ball through the hoop isn't working, should he adjust?  If players are coasting on that end, should he call out players?  Emphasize new schemes? 

It's funny that you (and Joe) see NBA offense and defense as "score the ball" and "don't let them score the ball", with no other coaching emphasis required.

I'm just saying a head coach should never have to tell his players to put effort in on defense. However, a coach can teach player how to defend or come up with a scheme.

Perhaps, in theory, a coach shouldn't have to preach defense.  But, if the players aren't bringing effort and energy, it's on the coach to light a fire under them.  To act like that never occurred to him is, once again, a sign of a moron who doesn't take his job seriously.

Should Joe never emphasize FT shooting?  It's obvious.  Rebounding?  It's obvious.  Fast break points?  It's obvious. 

[Roy H.]

Ben Rohrbach @brohrbach
1 minute ago
Kristaps Porzingis declares himself healthy: “Being here now, being healthy to start the season, it just gives me extra fire.” No limitations from the plantar fasciitis. “I’m perfectly fine.”

[BitterJim]

Ben Rohrbach @brohrbach
1 minute ago
Kristaps Porzingis declares himself healthy: “Being here now, being healthy to start the season, it just gives me extra fire.” No limitations from the plantar fasciitis. “I’m perfectly fine.”

While that's encouraging, it seems like he thought he was "perfectly fine" before the FIBA tournament so I'll take it with a grain of salt

[liam]

Ben Rohrbach @brohrbach
1 minute ago
Kristaps Porzingis declares himself healthy: “Being here now, being healthy to start the season, it just gives me extra fire.” No limitations from the plantar fasciitis. “I’m perfectly fine.”

While that's encouraging, it seems like he thought he was "perfectly fine" before the FIBA tournament so I'll take it with a grain of salt

Everyone thinks they're fine while they are...

[Roy H.]

Ben Rohrbach @brohrbach
1 minute ago
Kristaps Porzingis declares himself healthy: “Being here now, being healthy to start the season, it just gives me extra fire.” No limitations from the plantar fasciitis. “I’m perfectly fine.”

While that's encouraging, it seems like he thought he was "perfectly fine" before the FIBA tournament so I'll take it with a grain of salt

Maybe he was, but needed an out?  Perhaps he didn't want to risk a Gallinari-esque outcome?