How Joe Mazzulla’s hammering of mental toughness became the Celtics’ ‘biggest growth’
During Boston’s six-day rest period before the Eastern Conference Finals, the second-year head coach emphasized the importance of staying present.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has long been a proponent of “teachable moments,” scenarios which his team can weaponize by using instances of failure as a launchpad for success.
And despite coming off of their Round 2 playoff victory over the Cavaliers Wednesday, the team with the league’s best record has no shortage of “teachable moments” to propel them into the NBA Finals.
During Boston’s six-day rest period before the Eastern Conference Finals, the second-year head coach emphasized the importance of improving mental toughness down the stretch.
“If you go into something thinking it’s supposed to go a certain way, then your mind and your body is clouded by what is necessary to do in that moment. And so, the one thing this team has done a good job of this season is not playing with any expectations. If you’re winning by a lot, if you’re losing by a lot, it doesn’t really matter,” he told reporters Friday.
Mazzulla, who was named as full-time head coach in 2023, has been in this familiar position before. When the Heat knocked Boston out of banner 18 contention last season, he earned the biggest “teachable moment” of them all.
He learned that the battle – while against other teams on the court – is mental. And as expectations for the Celtics to win a championship continue to mount, Mazzulla is focused on keeping his team present.
“You’ve got to stay engaged and locked in mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically because there’s a fight coming up. It’s going to be a long one. And we’re just coming out of a fight,” Mazzulla said about his approach to rest days following Sunday’s practice.
“Joe really studies the game, studies the mental side of things a lot,” Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard said about his coach Sunday.
Pritchard, who saw minimal playoff minutes in 2023, has proved himself to be a clutch member of the stay-ready group. Watching mostly from the sidelines last year, he said he thinks his team has done a better job at handling playoff challenges with fortitude.
“That’s our biggest growth this year is, ‘How do we prepare mentally for the battle ahead’ and staying in the moment, and not losing ourselves?”
That growth is due to Mazzulla’s “onto the next” philosophy. He encourages his players to move on quickly from games – win or lose – and even implements drills in practice to simulate moments of tension during games. He calls it “controlled madness.”
“Some coaches sometimes can be methodical and boring, but Joe definitely brings a spark and weird energy,” first-year Celtic Jrue Holiday said.
“Really locking in like that really helps me,” Holiday said about Mazzulla’s approach. “You definitely have to pay attention to the things that he says. Sometimes he might talk kind of fast, and he might talk through something, and you kind of have to be like wait, wait, slow down.”
Now, as the Celtics prepare for their series against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, Mazzulla says his team is in a good position following their short break.
“Guys were locked in, intentional on the things that we need to get better at. So, I thought they brought a really good mindset,” Mazzulla said about Sunday’s practice ahead of Game 1 on Tuesday.
With Kristaps Porzingis expected to make a return at some point in the series, the Celtics will have their full arsenal available. However, with the star center’s status still questionable, Boston will put their mental toughness to the test as they look for a short-handed win.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off Tuesday at TD Garden at 8 p.m.
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