Kendrick Perkins Questions Joe Mazzulla’s Coaching Ability with Bizarre Statement

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The Celtics dropped a close game to the Nuggets on Friday, marking the first time they’ve lost at home this season. While losing one game in January doesn’t make or break the Celtics’ title chances, it was a tough finish for what’s been the league’s best team thus far. After the loss, former Celtics big man Kendrick Perkins took a shot at Joe Mazzulla with a bizarre comment. 

“They have two Joe Mazzullas,” Perkins said. “They have the one that got the philosophy of we’re going to get up more 3s than you. When they hit them, he looks great. Then you have the other Joe Mazzulla, who just stands over there, and you wonder, if you take his brain out and you put it in a bird, the bird is going to start flying backwards. You got that Joe Mazzulla.” He goes on to explain himself with “You know why I say that? It’s because he doesn’t get his guys easy looks. Time and time again, we kept saying, attack the paint. You have so many guys that are great at cutting. They cannot continue to play AAU style basketball all the time. You gotta have sets.”

Kendrick Perkins on ESPN’s NBA Countdown

The Celtics only lost to the Nuggets 102-100, and they have the best record in the league at 32-10. So of course Joe Mazzulla has the team playing good basketball which makes this comment seem just absolutely absurd. However within this absurd comment, I believe that Perkins was hinting at Mazzulla’s perceived inconsistency. He is suggesting that sometimes Mazzulla makes bad decisions and fails to give the offense structure and fails to get his players easy looks. I think that he is worried that although the Celtics are arguably the most talented team in the league with a championship-worthy roster taking the floor, some, like Perkins, see Mazzulla as holding the Celtics back.

The spotlight certainly will be on Mazzulla more if he has any hiccups the rest of the season, especially in the playoffs.