There’s no doubt head coach Joe Mazzulla has done a tremendous job guiding the Boston Celtics to the top of the league and a first-seed finish to the regular season. The thing is, the franchise’s fanbase have turned on the NBA for not including him in the Coach of the Year nominees.
During the offseason, the Celtics’ front office acquired two key pieces in Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to join the team. The addition of these two players allowed Mazzulla to field an offense that can create shots from anywhere on the court without compromising the defense on the other end.
By the end of the regular season, the Celtics finished with a top-ranked offense using a lineup of All-Star forward Jayson Tatum , Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Porzingis, and Holiday. The team’s defense also placed third out of 30 teams in the NBA this year.
That’s why it isn’t surprising Boston finished not only first in the Eastern Conference, but on top of the entire league as well. Under Mazzulla, the Celtics managed to win 64 games and lost only 18 contests.
Boston Celtics Fanbase Call Out NBA After Snubbing Joe Mazzulla for Coach of the Year Nomination
Just recently, the league released its list of nominees for Coach of the Year. Upon learning Mazzulla wasn’t included, Boston’s fans immediately called out the NBA for the snub, as seen in the various reactions on X:
“Joe Mazzulla guided the Celtics to the best record in the NBA this season, but that wasn’t good enough to be considered for this award,” Greg Dudek posted.
“Nothing seems egregious here. Anything jump out to you? It is kind of funny that there isn’t a single Celtic to be found, but I kind of get. It’s an ensemble of good to great players. Just kind of funny that no one from the season’s best team got any kind of finalist nod,” Keith Smith said.
“Joe Mazzulla was a finalist last year, but this year his team runs away with the regular season and now he’s not a finalist? How does this make sense?” Mike Dynon stated.
“Mazzulla not even being a FINALIST is dirty work,” Sam LaFrance tweeted.
“it was never going to happen, fellow celtics fans. there’s always a narrative more compelling than “boston is good again,” as per Neon Genesis Evan Fournier.
“Who needs 64 wins, anyway?” Jack Simone posted.
“Surprised to see Joe Mazzulla is not a finalist for Coach of the Year,” according to Noa Dalzell.
Both Mark Daigneault and Chris Finch have steered the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively to their best records in recent years. Meanwhile, Jamahl Mosley has helped transform the Paolo Banchero-led Orlando Magic from a mediocre squad to a playoff contender.
While the three nominees deserve the recognition, not including the coach with the league’s best record is baffling. In any case, Boston fans won’t take this one sitting down in the coming days.
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