Celtics Rookie Gives First Impressions of Joe Mazzulla

Since Joe Mazzulla became the head coach of the Boston Celtics in the 2022 offseason, he took the NBA by storm. The 36-year-old had one of the most dominant two-year stretches for a first-time head coach, culminating in a Conference Finals appearance and a championship. He has made a name for himself as a coach who likes to empower his players while instilling strong fundamentals and discipline.

This is evident in his relationship with his players. Even the most recent Celtics addition, rookie Baylor Scheierman is already impressed with Mazzulla. According to Justin Turpin of WEEI, the 30th-overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft had nothing but positive things to say about his new coach.

Celtics Rookie Baylor Scheierman Already Loves Joe Mazzulla

Scheierman disclosed the conversation he recently had with Mazzulla. In their brief dialogue, the coach told him to "shoot threes, play defense, and rebound." That simplification of the role is clearly appreciated by his players.

If the 23-year-old rookie does all those things well, he should be able to find playing time as a rookie. The Creighton product spent five years in college, playing in 162 games. This makes him one of the most experienced and NBA-ready rookies in his draft class. In his final season, he averaged 18.5 points, 9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while hitting 38.1% of his threes on a whopping 8.3 attempts per game.

That three-point volume and accuracy are precisely what drew the Celtics to Scheierman. Mazzulla likes to play a five-out system where everyone can make plays with the ball without sacrificing much on the defensive end.

If Scheierman can translate his shooting prowess to the NBA while holding his own on the defensive end, he could eventually replace Sam Hauser, who will likely be too expensive for the Celtics to keep past next season.

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