Joe Mazzulla has been named the Eastern Conference coach of the month for March. He led the Boston Celtics to a 12-4 record over that stretch, which gave the franchise the best winning percentage in the East. The award is Mazzulla’s second of the season and third since stepping into the head coaching role ahead of the 2022-23 season.
The Celtics currently sit top of the Eastern Conference standings and are closing in on locking up the best record in the NBA. Under Mazzulla’s guidance, the Celtics have become a fearsome championship contender with elite performances on both sides of the floor.
Following Mazzulla’s latest award, the Celtics noted how their head coach has joined an illustrious group of coaches.
“Mazzulla becomes the seventh head coach in NBA history to earn at least three Coach of the Month awards in the first two seasons at the helm of their respective teams, joining Tom Thibodeau (5), Avery Johnson (3), David Joerger (3), Steve Kerr (3), Nick Nurse (3), and Stan Van Gundy (3),” The Celtics revealed in their press release. “In addition to earning the recognition in December 2023 and November 2022, Mazzulla is the only coach to win three monthly honors since the start of the 2022-23 season.”
Boston’s goals are much higher than finishing top of the East in the regular-season.
Celtics Lab 248: On the impact of Joel Embiid's return on the Boston Celtics' playoff picture with Ky Carlin https://t.co/1hZVnzy9oQ pic.twitter.com/EIeyJw9DFt
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 2, 2024
As such, Mazzulla’s latest award will likely be celebrated and then quickly forgotten. After all, all of their current success won’t matter if the team can’t make it to the NBA Finals once the playoffs begin.
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