Celtics notebook: Joe Mazzulla is leaving his impact

As Al Horford approached the media scrum following Friday afternoon’s practice at the Auerbach Center, he sported a straightforward yet impactful choice of attire: a plain black shirt adorned with the word “Mindset” spelled out in with a gray outline.

Considering the idea of mindset has been a cornerstone of the Celtics’ success this season, having the slogan imprinted on a t-shirt felt way overdue.

The resonance of this word has been palpable throughout the season, permeating every aspect of Celtics discourse, from media scrums to postgame press conferences and even the written coverage. Its ubiquity underscores its significance as more than just a slogan, but rather a guiding principle driving the team’s success.

It’s kind of like the 2023-24 Celtics’ equivalent of “Ubuntu.”

The idea of mindset has been a guiding instrumental in the Celtics season, and it stayed strong during their first-round win against the Miami Heat, demonstrating the team’s maturity .

“I was very proud of the group, of how focused we were on the challenge and understanding that we needed to handle Game 5 at home properly, and from the beginning of the game and throughout, we were able to maintain that, and that shows maturity, that shows growth,” Horford said.

“The year before, we had an opportunity against the Hawks to do the same thing, and we couldn’t get it done. So, I am encouraged to see that, and we also have to continue to have that mindset, especially with this next challenge and this next round coming up.”

As the playoffs progress, each round will pose greater challenges, putting Boston’s commitment to their mindset to the test. The Celtics passed that test in round one, setting the tone for the rest of the postseason, but they understand it won’t stay that easy.

“Just locking in mentally,” Payton Pritchard said on what the series with Miami did for the team. “It just prepared us for what it’s going to be like to try and win this championship. Every round is going to be tougher.”

The Celtics are fully aware of the opportunity to accomplish something extraordinary, a sentiment underscored by Pritchard’s mention of the word “championship” four times during Friday’s discussion.

“W had another good practice today, continuing to try to get better as a group, individually, and just taking advantage of these moments,” Horford said.

Sure, the “Different Here” slogan is appropriate, as Boston’s way of conducting its business has been different all year long. However, it’s foundation lies in the idea of “mindset,” which will ultimately determine the fate of the Celtics’ championship aspirations.

Mazzulla pleased with Tatum’s play

In round one, Tatum didn’t necessarily score to his standards.

The five-time All-Star finished third on the team in points per game, averaging 21.8 on 41.6% shooting from the field and 29.0% from deep. His 21.8 points per game are his fewest in the postseason in the last five years.

Nevertheless, head coach Joe Mazzulla expressed satisfaction with his All-NBA wing’s performance, acknowledging that while the numbers may not reflect All-NBA caliber, Tatum contributed positively to the team.

“I thought his defense was tremendous,” Mazzulla said on Tatum. “I thought his pick-and-roll on the ball handler was really good, I thought his defensive rebounding was good, and I thought the discipline to fight taking difficult shots versus making the extra pass, and I thought he showed that.”

“I think the thing he’s really grown at this year is, it’s just going to look different every night. It’s going to look different in every series. And he was able to really adjust this series and find other ways to impact the game, which I think is super important.”

Tatum’s +78 plus-minus leads the NBA this postseason. Notably, the Duke product dominated the series in rebounding, securing 52 boards, translating to four double-double performances out of the five games played. Additionally, he notched a team-high 27 assists throughout the series.

Moreover, Miami shooters shot 15-of-37 (44.4%) when defended by Tatum.

“You’re not going to play perfect all the time,” Mazzulla added. “He found other ways to impact the game. And really, I think our team’s done that. I think that’s been a thing of our team: what wins one game, what wins one series, doesn’t win the next one. So, you got to be ready to figure out different ways to impact the game and the series, and I think our guys have done that.”

A contagious growth mindset

When asked about his growth since last season, Mazzulla couldn’t help but smile. It’s a question he’s been fielding all season long, which he believes to be a continuous process rather than something confined to just one year.

“Everybody loves asking that question,” Mazzulla said with a grin. “It’s the same answer every time – you’re always going to get better as a coach. I hope next year, or however long I’m doing it for, that I get better every series because the number one goal is to grow. Hopefully, ten years from now, I’ve gotten better every year.”

Mazzulla possesses a distinctly unique growth mindset. Drawing lessons from various sports, coaches, and cultures, he instills this mentality throughout the organization, making it contagious among the team.

“You can learn from so many different people and like different approaches. And it’s not just like one approach is the perfect one,” Pritchard said. “There are different methods to being successful all the time. So, I just like that growth mindset he has, and I think we all take it from him.”

The Celtics buy into Mazzulla’s message. It’s different and unique, but it works. Mazzulla’s emphasis on the mental side of things is fascinating, and it has made a noticeable difference for the team.

“Since being in the league, I’ve adapted that,” Pritchard said on having a growth mindset. “I think that’s the only reason I’ve been able to keep growing every year, because there have been some frustrating times where, you know, during those times you can kind of quit and just like fold, but during those times you grow through them and keep learning and getting better and better and learn from every individual you come across.”

Defining toughness

The word “toughness” gets thrown around a lot. For years, the “lack” of toughness has been a criticism of the Celtics.  After Game 5, Tatum offered some unique perspective into what that word actually means.

“You can see how talented we are, and I think it’s lazy, or easy to say, that teams can ‘out-tough’ us. I’ve never understood that,” Tatum said.

“Like, what’s the definition of tough? Having the louder guys on your team? Like that s— don’t make you tough. Everybody has their own definition of what toughness is. Playing the right way, showing up every day to do your job without complaining. I think that’s being tough.”

After Friday’s practice, Mazzulla cosigned Tatum’s definition.

“I think he was dead-on about, it can be defined in a bunch of different ways. And I think sometimes the simplicity, the discipline, to just do the right thing over and over again gets overlooked because you don’t always see it,” Mazzulla said.

“There obviously is a huge physicality standpoint. A toughness standpoint. Rebounding. Screening. But it’s also the discipline and the details that you have to do it every single day.”

Boston’s definition is outlined in Tatum’s words, and it all goes back to that idea of mindset.

“I just think that we’re consistent with our approach. We really try to do the things that we need to do to win. And I think our play kind of speaks for itself,” Horford added. “All year, we’ve been consistent defensively, defending, rebounding, on offense, trying to execute the best that we can. So, I think our work speaks for itself.”