NBA Realities

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla previously stated that the sport of soccer has heavily influenced his coaching philosophy. Mazzulla told Jared Weiss of The Athletic on February 26th that the no-time-out rule in soccer contributed to him creating a player-empowering offense.

“That’s where my timeout philosophy started. I think soccer coaches are the best teachers, because once the game starts, you can’t call a timeout,” Mazzulla said. “The ability to create a system where your guys can operate and function based on the ebbs and flows of the game and how the game is going is really important. You have to empower your players to understand exactly how the game’s going and how quickly you can self-correct to either stop a run or create your own run.”

Joe Mazzulla’s offense

Joe Mazzulla’s decision to empower his players has led to an offensive system centered around two-person actions. Mazzulla’s offense often causes players to shoot the ball after one or two passes every possession.

For example, Derrick White dribbled the ball up the court early in the first quarter vs the Sacramento Kings on December 20th, 2023 Once White reached the three-point line, he passed the ball to Jaylen Brown, who stood at the top of the key.

Brown went over a Kristaps Porzigis screen and drove to the basket for a dunk. Mazzulla’s offense has resulted in the team relaying on self creation to generate points. Boston ranks 3rd in pull-up shooting points and field goal attempts. The Celtics are averaging 24.5 pull-up shooting points per game, shooting 39.5% on 24.6 attempts.

At first glance, Joe Mazzulla’s decision to empower players appears to be paying off. The team currently ranks in the top ten in points per game, field goal, and three-point percentage. Boston averages 121 points per game, shooting 48.6% on 89.8 attempts. The field goal percentage includes a three-point shooting percentage of 38.4% on 42.3 attempts.

However, the Celtics’ quick decision-making has resulted in a lack of ball movement. Boston is averaging 2.7 passes per possession, 22nd in the league. If we expand those passing statistics over an entire game, they’re averaging 267 passes in 98.8 possessions, ranking 23rd in the league.

Boston’s lack of ball movement has been the catalyst behind the team being 18th in assists averaging 26.3 per game. Those assists are generating 69.2 points per game, which ranks 13th.

Potential game plans vs Mazzulla

Consequently, Joe Mazzulla’s team will run into trouble in playoffs as opposing teams have the proper time to prepare a game plan. According to the LA Times, NBA coaches need three days to prepare a game plan.

Once coaches analyze the Celtics’ offense, they’ll realize how predictable the system is this season. Opposing coaches could prepare two different game plans to beat Boston.

1. Opposing defenders could stay close to the off-ball players to lessen the impact of their three-point shooting. Consequently, the ball handler will have to create his own shot. Boston has been inefficient in the self creation department this season. They rank 13th in pull-up field goal percentage, shooting 39.5% from the field.
2. Opposing defenders could collapse on the two-person action to force Boston to make the extra pass, which is unusual for them.

In conclusion, Joe Mazzulla’s love of soccer has led him to empower his players, making the offense very predictable this season.