Joe Mazzulla has guided the Celtics to a league-best document coming into December behind a historic offense, a direct and deliberate teaching type, and … sandcastles?
Jayson Tatum revealed after Wednesday’s win over the Heat – which improved the Celtics to 18-4 this season – that each time the workforce begins a movie session, Mazzulla reveals them an image of a sandcastle.
Why?
“The metaphor (is) you build the best sandcastle on vacation and when the tide comes up it’s going to wash it away,” Tatum stated. “Basically, today was a good game we won, but when we go to film (Thursday) or Friday, we’ve gotta build another sandcastle. And it’s a little cheesy, but it’s something that we’ve bought into.”
The Celtics have appeared to take the message to coronary heart. They’ve received 14 of their final 15 they usually haven’t neglected inferior opponents. Coming off an NBA Finals loss as a championship favourite, there’s one thing of a goal on their again, however they’ve dealt with nearly each check. It could also be straightforward to get complacent within the early levels of an extended season, however the Celtics have stayed persistently locked in from evening to nighttime. It’s a credit score to Mazzulla and his messaging.
“It’s a choice that we’ve gotta make every day when we come in and try to be the best version of ourselves,” Tatum stated. “And figuring out that it’s by no means going to be straightforward. We’re all the time going to get the opposite workforce’s greatest shot. …
“I think Joe’s done a great job of not letting us be satisfied or complacent, which we aren’t. Coming off a Finals loss, we know what the ultimate goal is. But just trying to take the right steps along the way in getting back to that point.”
Why does one thing like Mazzulla’s sandcastle message resonate with the Celtics? Tatum stated the workforce is checking their egos on the door. He pointed to a man like Blake Griffin – a former star within the league who has accepted a diminished position with the Celtics – for example. All throughout the roster, from Tatum to Malcolm Brogdon to Griffin, the C’s have purchased in to a shared mission.
“Blake has had a hell of a career. Six-time All-Star, whatever, six-time All-NBA, and was a superstar at one point,” Tatum stated. “And clearly there was an harm, however someone like that to come back in and purchase in and do issues that you simply guys don’t see on daily basis. He takes the primary bus, he performs pick-up on off days with two-way guys, after which that’s not essentially all the time regular, particularly for someone that has completed what he has and made the cash that he has.
“For him to still have that mindset of team-first and just being a great teammate, just little things like that that we all notice and everybody shows that in one way or another. So we just got a really great group of selfless guys on this team that just want to win, and do whatever it takes to help the next guy.”
Best duo?
Tatum and Jaylen Brown proved they may coexist final season as they led the Celtics to the NBA Finals. Now, they’re making a reliable case because the NBA’s greatest duo.
Tatum is an early favourite for MVP, averaging 31.6 factors per recreation as the very best participant on the very best workforce, whereas Brown is having a profession season. Between them, there’s no higher scoring tandem within the league, they usually’re main the Celtics to the very best document.
Does Tatum assume they’re the very best duo?
“Good question,” Tatum stated. “I guess, yeah. I mean, whatever that means. I believe in him, and his ability and the things that he can do. We’ve obviously shown that we can play together at a high level and have great success, so I guess it looks that way, but I guess that’s for you guys to decide. We never talk about that. We want to be the best team, we want to win a championship, and if along the way we’re the best duo, we’ll take it.”
Royally unimpressed
The Celtics performed in entrance of royalty in Wednesday’s win because the Prince and Princess of Wales have been seated courtside alongside workforce co-owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca, Governor-elect Maura Healey and Mayor Michelle Wu. Their look created lots of consideration, however the Celtics weren’t caught up in it.
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph?” Mazzulla stated when requested if he met Prince William and Princess Kate. “I did not. I’m only familiar with one royal family. I don’t know too much about that one. … Hopefully they’re Celtics fans.”
Derrick White stated he’s “not a big royal family guy” however admitted he practically by chance ran into them on his manner off the court docket after the sport. Brown didn’t pay a lot consideration to them.
“It was just a regular game to me,” Brown stated.
Source: www.bostonherald.com