Mazzulla Ball, Defined
Where substance meets style
If you ever wanted a working definition of Mazzulla Ball, take a look at the waves of destruction the shorthanded Celtics inflicted upon the hapless Milwaukee Bucks this past Monday night. Start with the team stats section of the box score. The numbers are astonishing:
Field goal attempts: 95-74
3-point attempts: 50-37
Turnovers: 10-16
Total Rebounds: 54-41
Offensive Rebounds: 16-9
Mazzulla’s Celtics generated 21 more shots than the Bucks by not turning the ball over as often as Milwaukee and dominating both ends of the glass. Those 21 extra field goal attempts yielded 13 more 3-point shots, which ultimately led to a whopping 102-67 advantage in total points scored during the flow of the game. That’s Mazzulla Math in a nutshell. More possessions = more shots = more points.
This thorough annihilation of an NBA team still playing for its season was even more remarkable given the following factors: The Celtics were playing on the road on the second night of a back-to-back without Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta. How does something like that even happen?
A key hallmark of Mazzulla Ball is your next opportunity is coming so you better stay ready. Young Hugo Gonzalez stepped into Brown’s spot in the starting lineup and dropped 18 points, 16 (!) rebounds, three steals, and two blocks while credibly guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo for most of the game. Nikola Vucevic and Luka Garza combined for a tidy 17-and-17 while subbing for Queta. (Having three capable big men is a massive upgrade for this team.)
While we’re talking individual numbers, go up and down the list. Every single one of Mazzulla’s nine rotation players contributed something meaningful to the bottom line. Whether it was Payton Pritchard taking over JB’s ISO role or Derrick White conducting the whole affair with his usual aplomb, every player on this team knows exactly what’s expected of them at all times.
Under the tenets of Mazzulla Ball, individual achievement leads directly to team success. The Celtics had 31 assists on 41 made buckets. Six different players scored in double figures. Two others had at least seven. Jordan Walsh, who didn’t score at all, grabbed seven rebounds and brought his kinetic energy to the floor. Ron Harper Jr., who is still on a 2-way contract, hit some of the biggest buckets of the night stemming off Milwaukee advances.
This isn’t a basketball team. It’s a machine. One crafted entirely in Mazzulla’s image. Take a bunch of unselfish, no bullshit players and empower them to shoot as many open 3’s as they want so long as they move without the ball and keep the ball moving when they’re not open. Whether Jayson Tatum comes back or not, that’s a hell of an identity to take into the playoffs.
