Joe Mazzulla is revolutionizing the NBA with his ‘Mazzulla Ball,’ which focuses on ball movement, rim attacks, and most importantly, 3-point shot creation. The 35-year-old Celtics head coach has repeatedly discussed how the philosophies of soccer coach Pep Guardiola have influenced his coaching style, with Mazzulla even crediting Guardiola for helping him create offense against the Mavericks’ defense.
“Dallas’ defense, they’re one of the smartest, best defensive teams in the league… That’s kind of what Pep has helped me with, spacing. It’s very important. Transitions, how you move those guys.”
The Mavericks had been one of the best defenses in the NBA from February onward and used their defensive skills to run through the Western Conference before running into the Celtics. Mazzulla had the better roster, but his implementation of the players to completely outclass the Mavs was incredible.
Pep Guardiola is the current manager of Manchester City, one of the most successful clubs in world football at the moment. They have won six out of the last seven league titles, dominating the English Premier League. Guardiola has a glittering coaching career prior to his stint with City, with some considering him the greatest coach in the sport’s history.
Guardiola attended a Finals game in a Celtics jersey, showing his support for Mazzulla, who has taken heavy inspiration from the Catalonian soccer coach to become the youngest coach to win an NBA title since Bill Russell did it as a player-coach in 1969.
Mazzulla Explained How Soccer And Basketball Have Similar Tactical Philosophies
Mazzulla has not attempted to hide his reverence for Guardiola at any point, speaking glowingly about the soccer coaching legend at various points this season. In February, he explained in detail why he studies Pep’s Manchester City and how he applies their counter-attacking principles to transition offense in basketball.
“That is what the game of basketball is about, to me, and what counterattacking in soccer is about. So I study a lot of Man City. I study Pep (Guardiola) a lot. I think he’s the best coach at any level, in any sport. It’s had a huge influence (on me)… I think where basketball and soccer are the same is the transition is happening so fast. You can be on offense and two seconds later, you can be on defense. So the game is constantly changing… To me, regardless of the sport, it could be lacrosse, soccer, or basketball; those one-on-one situations, all fundamentals are the same.”
Even with how bizarre this strategy seems, the players on the Celtics bought into it. Finals MVP Jaylen Brown had commented on the same when Mazzulla delved into his philosophy, buying into the strategies the coach was trying.
“It’s made me a more efficient basketball player, just because you need to make the game easier for yourself. I feel like I can score with the best of them on anybody. But when you are identifying and manipulating the game and getting the right matchups on you, playing slow, taking your time, those are easier baskets.”
It remains to be seen if Mazzulla’s new-fangled approach to basketball will be replicated by other coaches in the NBA. While applying soccer principles to basketball won’t be easy for everyone, some learnings can enhance tactics in the NBA.
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