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Joe Mazzulla explained how Josh McDaniels recently helped the Celtics
"He actually drew up a couple of pre-snap motion plays for us, for me to kind of visualize and see how we could use them as sets."
A Celtics-Patriots crossover: During a Tuesday interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla explained how Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels recently helped his team deal with some of the increasingly sophisticated defenses in the NBA.
While taking in a Celtics home win over the Heat on Dec. 19, McDaniels spoke with Mazzulla. The relentless Celtics coach, always in pursuit of an extra advantage, queried the Patriots assistant about how to recognize various defenses in man or zone coverage.
“Coach McDaniels came to a game a couple of weeks ago, and he actually drew up a couple of pre-snap motion plays for us, for me to kind of visualize and see how we could use them as sets,” Mazzulla said Tuesday. “But his mind is amazing.”
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Asked if comparisons between the two sports actually translate, Mazzulla cited a lengthy (and intricate) explanation recently given by Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins about the progression of defensive coverages.
“It can definitely translate [to basketball],” Mazzulla said. “[McDaniels] was kind of explaining some of the stuff that they do. Did you guys see the answer Kirk Cousins gave about how the quarterback position has changed, and how reads have changed? I mean, it’s very similar. That’s kind of where basketball is as well.
“There are obviously game plans and details that you have to develop, but over the course of the game, defenses, offenses, spacing, coverages — things are changing so much that you have to be able to adjust on the fly,” he continued. “I think that it’s the pre-snap stuff and the ability to recognize whether they’re disguising man or zone [coverage] and how you go about making the defense tell that, so you know beforehand, and then having to read in real-time — that’s right where basketball is. I enjoy studying that stuff a ton.”
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With the evolution of NFL defenses and coverages, Mazzulla noted that the NBA is on a similar (if not quite as intense) path. As a result, it only seems natural that the Celtics coach would consult and NFL offensive mind of the caliber of McDaniels.
“There’s a similar transition where it may not be to that extent, but over the course of the game you may see three, four different coverages, and you’re going to see three, four, five different matchup changes,” he explained. “You’re going to have to be able to recognize it in real time, make the read in real time, and communicate it in real time. So I don’t think it’s as drastic as football has gone with disguising man and zone [coverage], but I do think there’s a huge component of that throughout the game.”
Mazzulla is no stranger to the Patriots, having visited the team several times (including a trip down to Foxborough during training camp in August).
Trying to incorporate knowledge from other sports is also a thing that Mazzulla has consistently done since becoming Celtics coach. A soccer fan, he’s also picked the brain of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola about tactics (with the Spanish legend — himself a basketball fan — notably sitting court-side at TD Garden for Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals).
Scores and schedules:
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The Bruins lost to the Kraken 7-4 on Tuesday. Boston will host the Flames at TD Garden on Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Celtics host the Nuggets tonight at 7 p.m.
Also tonight at 7 p.m., the Boston Fleet host the Seattle Torrent at Agganis Arena.
On Sunday night, the Patriots host the Chargers in a wild-card playoff matchup at 8 p.m.
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- Paul Pierce sounds off on the ‘lack of respect’ Jaylen Brown is getting in award conversations
- MLB insider outlines possible ‘big money’ contract Red Sox offered Alex Bregman
Sounds from Sunday: The Patriots shared clips from the win over the Dolphins.
The latest Tom Brady power ranking: The former Patriot placed his ex-team near the top.
On this day: In 2006, the Patriots defeated the Jaguars in the 28-3 in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs. Willie McGinest notched an NFL playoff record with 4.5 sacks (also becoming the career postseason leader in the category), and Asante Samuel intercepted Byron Leftwich, running it back 73 yards for a touchdown.
Daily highlight: Though the Bruins lost in the end, this was a fun goal from the combined efforts of David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.
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