Experienced trainer Sam Cassell reportedly set to join Boston’s coaching staff under Joe Mazzulla

It seems like losing to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals last month won’t be the only thing the Sixers will lose to their historic rivals, as it has been reported that key assistant Sam Cassell has agreed to join Boston’s coaching staff under Joe Mazzulla.

The first to report on the scene was NBA insider Shams Charania, who assures that the former Philadelphia trainer is set to become the experienced voice that the Massachusetts franchise have been needing in their bench. This comes as a perfect match with Mazzulla, who just last season made his coaching debut and is the youngest in the league.

As for Cassell, he’s been an assistant coach in the NBA since 2009. His past three campaigns have been under Philly’s former coach Doc Rivers, but before this he had been six seasons in Los Angeles with the Clippers and five before this alongside the Washington Wizards.

However, his experienced doesn’t come only from the bench, as he played in the NBA during 16 seasons starting in 1993, and won three championships, including Boston’s 2008 title with Rivers as coach.

According to sources, many teams have been following Cassell’s footsteps as a candidate for head coach, even back in Philadelphia before they opted to hire Nick Nurse. However, it seems that in Boston he has the perfect opportunity to return to the team that saw him retire 15 years ago.

Celtics legend Paul Pierce was one who firmly believed that a presence like Cassell’s could bring perfect balance to Mazzulla’s inexperience.

“You can’t keep bringing in new voices. I’m going to add to what I got right now. I’ve got to add to it. It’s already good. I’ve got to add to it. It’s already there,” he shared. “So, I’m bringing Mazzulla back but maybe I’m bringing in a veteran coach, like Sam Cassell. Some influence on the bench. Respect. A champion. Been a coach. Understands what it takes.”

Boston President Brad Stevens has announced there will be little changes in the team this summer, but did feel the need to improve the coaching staff

“I do think the biggest part of a staff is having a group of people that work well together, that can throw great ideas against the wall and then agree on the path ahead and move forward with what the decision is that’s made,” President Brad Stevens told the press last week.

The leader of the franchise’s front office also believes that Cassell precedes his reputation as a well-respected assistant with the experience to guide the roster to conquer another NBA title.

“I did think that, obviously, when we had our coaching situation in September, we tried and looked at a couple of people,” he said. “To get somebody to move at the start of a school year, [someone] who likely has a family or whatever, or in the middle of the year, is a little bit more challenging, right? And then the reality is that not a lot of people are available at those times.

“But we will try to make sure that we add one person to our bench with significant NBA experience, and then go from there.”

Just as debutant head coach Joe Mazzulla fell short of taking the Celtics to another NBA Finals, adding Cassell seems like the perfect move as Stevens had promised to add an assistant coach to Mazzulla’s staff with “significant NBA experience.”