Joe Mazzulla explains what he would change about the NBA Cup
"That's the difference between what we do here and what you do around the world."
The Celtics will be looking to add to their hardware haul now that the 2024 NBA Cup has finally commenced.
But even with the added pomp that comes with the NBA’s second iteration of its in-season tournament, Joe Mazzulla didn’t mince words when asked about any added excitement that comes with Tuesday’s tournament opener against the Atlanta Hawks.
“No, they’re all the same,” Mazzulla said of any added anticipation that comes with NBA Cup action. “We’ve got 82 of them. I get the same amount of excitement for all of them.”
As for whether or not Mazzulla has sensed any additional excitement from his players?
“I have no idea,” Mazzulla added. “I don’t pay attention to their excitement level.”
Despite Mazzulla’s candid comments, several Celtics players have already given their approval about the NBA Cup — a league-crafted initiative designed to raise the stakes amid the slog of an 82-game season.
The NBA Cup is an annual competition among the league’s 30 teams that begins with group stage play before moving to an eight-team knockout round and an eventual neutral-site semifinal and championship round at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Beyond upgrades like the Celtics’ revamped hardwood court for the tournament, there is plenty on the line for players beyond a new trophy and bragging rights — as each player on the tournament-winning club will also take home over $500,000 in bonuses.
“I think it’s fun,” Celtics guard Jrue Holiday said of the NBA Cup. “I think we push for something else in the middle of the season and to be able to win the Cup and get to Vegas is something every team should push for. I feel like that’s something we’re trying to do, obviously win every single game but knowing that this is another tournament, another milestone we’re trying to get, I think we’re heading for that.”
Mazzulla agreed with Holiday’s sentiment that the NBA Cup does give his team a collective goal to focus on before the postseason. He did offer one tweak he’d make to the tournament.
“I like the idea that you see it around the world,” Mazzulla said. “I think the best way to, in my opinion, make it more impactful, is to move it away from the 82-game schedule, so it’s not just a regular-season game. It’s something different.
“You see the other tournaments around the world, they don’t count towards your domestic league, it’s its own league entirely. And so that, to me, is my only negative towards it. I like it. I think having something like that in the middle of the season is good, especially for a long year — just that’s the difference between what we do here and what you do around the world.”
The Celtics might have won their 18th NBA championship in June, but they fell flat in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament last winter — falling to the Pacers in the quarterfinals.
Boston will take the trade-off of winning a title in June, but the Celtics have the personnel in place to win both a regular-season championship and world title during the 2024-25 campaign.
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