Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla predicts new NBA rule that will disallow staff to contest shots

Earlier this month, Boston coach Joe Mazzula made the headlines when he closed out and contested a three-pointer attempt by Phoenix forward Royce O’Neal after a timeout. Then during an interview on a local radio station this Wednesday, he admitted that he’s been told to stop trying to block rival shots in dead-ball situations. 

The Celtics tactician did not disclose who delivered him this directive, but he was convinced this isn’t restricted by the NBA rule book, or at least not yet. “I don’t think it’s a rule, but I’m sure it will be in the next 24-48 hours,” he said.

After his club beat the Bucks in a convincing 127-122 win, he explained his special approach to these kinds of plays. “Guys don’t shoot shots in front of our bench to go back to their bench to feel good about themselves,” Joe shared. “If I’m gonna ask the guys to contest, the staff’s gotta do the same.”

Joe Mazzulla has rules and principles in place for his team, for both players and coaches. One of those rules is not allowing an opponent to take a practice 3-point shot in front of his bench during a break or when the clock stops.

Mazzulla practices what he preaches. #Celtics pic.twitter.com/1qWcjNY6uz

— The Celtics Files (@CelticsFiles) March 15, 2024

“At the end of the day, it’s about the mindset and the approach that we bring, and it’s within the rules of the game. It’s about setting a tone, and it’s just that. One of the biggest pet peeves is thinking that a guy’s gonna get a free shot and that’s not the way it works. If we’re gonna hold our team to a standard, we hold our staff to the same thing,” he added.

Not everyone was thrilled by Mazzulla’s passion over these plays, despite the appreciation from his own co-stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Others like Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said on Inside the NBA that he would of “knocked the hell” out of the coach if he was in O’Neal’s place.

Even though Mazzulla won’t share who told him to stop contesting the opponent’s shots, the fact that it happened doesn’t come as a surprise at all. One thing is having player’s prevent these attempts during dead balls, but coaches doing it is a whole other ball game.

Despite sometimes it might feel deserving, as players usually wait at the rim with opponents around before they jump up to knock the ball away, the last thing that should happen is another player getting hurt because a coach stepped into his landing area.

Mazzulla agreed to stop using this tactic during games but won’t stop pursuing the culture he’s building in Boston

These tactics aren’t just another example of Joe’s tenacity, but also go to show the kind of winning culture that he has been trying to build in Massachusetts ever since he landed his job as a coach. For now, Mazzulla has agreed to stop using this strategy against his opponents.

“We can laugh about it, but at the end of the day, you have small moments in your organization to set the temperature of what you want to be about and we did that last year and dating back,” he said on air this Wednesday evening. “That’s an important thing for our team, the mindset we try to bring.”

“That we’re gonna bring it every day, that we want our opponents to constantly be uncomfortable, we don’t want to give them an edge at any point,” he insisted. “I appreciate the players allowing us to be ourselves as a staff, I appreciate the staff buying into that. You feel like you get small moments to set the temperature and that was one of the ways.”

Well, it sure seems as if Mazzulla’s leadership has led the Celtics to success, as the team continues to dominate as the league best with a 54-14 mark. As of today, they own a 6.5-game lead in the race for the NBA’s best overall record.