Wyc Grousbeck Assesses Joe Mazzulla's Second Year as Celtics' Head Coach: 'Next Couple of Months Will Say A Lot'

Joe Mazzulla appears to have maximized his offseason. He capitalized on his first opportunity to build a coaching staff, assembling one of the best in the NBA, bringing in Sam Cassell and Charles Lee, two of the league's top assistant coaches.

The Boston Celtics' bench boss returned calmer, more comfortable in the spotlight, and with a firm understanding of how to stay in tune with the team's extended rotation.

"I probably lost the touch with eight through 15 and, kind of, missed and didn't manage some of those relationships as well as I could have, as well as I did as an assistant," Mazzulla shared during training camp. 

"And then I think just like being on the court every day, you have a tendency as a head coach, you get stuck in your office sometimes because you're worried about the next game plan or the next thing like that.

"But getting back to, like, being on the court early and getting your meetings and stuff out of the way so you could be out there. And so, that's another reason (as to) why I feel a little bit more comfortable because that's where I was at my best as an assistant, was being down there with the guys."

He's also putting more of his imprint on how the Celtics are playing, including crucial changes that are helping Boston do a better job of winning on the margins.

The C's are embracing a selfless approach and "win the day" mantra that has allowed their top six and reconfigured core to quickly mesh while building a 26-6 record that has them atop the NBA standings. That has Mazzulla in line to be a head coach in the All-Star Game again.