Why NBA Writer Voted Celtics' Joe Mazzulla For Coach Of The Year
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Joe Mazzulla may not care much about the award, but he's a prime candidate to win Coach of the Year.
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The Celtics lost several key players before seemingly embarking on a gap year during Jayson Tatum's recovery from an Achilles tear. They instead went 56-26 and begin the playoffs as betting favorites to win the Eastern Conference.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps released his official ballots for the NBA's major end-of-season awards on Friday morning. He explained why Mazzulla earned his Coach of the Year endorsement.
"My vote went to Mazzulla because of how the Celtics recovered after losing several critical veteran players last summer -- Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday via trade and Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency -- and realigned the roster around a new set of talent," Bontemps said. "Jayson Tatum also missed most of the season while recovering from a right Achilles tear. Tatum's fairly seamless reintegration into Mazzulla's lineups has been no small feat, either."
Bontemps placed Mazzulla first on his ballot ahead of Detroit Pistons' J.B. Bickerstaff and the San Antonio Spurs' Mitch Johnson. He also considered Jordan Ott, who led the Phoenix Suns to 45 wins in his first season.
Mazzulla faces some steep competition for the honor. Bickerstaff led the Pistons to their first 60-win season in 20 years, and Johnson underwent the steep task of replacing Gregg Popovich by steering the Spurs to 62 victories.
Boston's mitigated preseason expectations still make Mazzulla a strong candidate. Under his watch, a new-look roster boasted the league's second-highest offensive rating and fourth-best defensive rating.
Celtics fans may not appreciate all of Bontemps' other choices. Jaylen Brown didn't make the top five of his MVP ballot and settled for second-team All-NBA honors in light of the league deeming Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham eligible with 64 games played each.
Derrick White made Bontemps' All-Defense first team, and Neemias Queta graces the second team.
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