Bostonvestigation: who told Joe Mazzulla to stop trying to block opposing players?

An anonymous killjoy has asked Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla to stop trying to block the shots of opposing players.

On Wednesday, Mazzulla told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand that he has been asked to stop his shot-blocking shenanigans.

“I’ve been told that I can’t do that anymore,” Mazzulla said when asked if he expects to block shots against the Milwaukee Bucks.

When asked who told him to stop, Boston’s head coach wouldn’t reveal the culprit.

The request comes after Mazzulla tried to stuff Phoenix Suns forward Royce O’Neale’s jump shot during a timeout last Thursday night.

After Boston’s decisive 127-112 victory over the visiting Suns, Mazzulla told reporters that he didn’t want O’Neale to see that ball go through the basket, as he had yet to sink a shot.

“I saw a guy going in to try and get a shot,” Mazzulla explained (h/t our very own Noa Dalzell). “He hadn’t made one and I didn’t want him to feel good about himself going back to the bench. Gary (Washburn) asked me about that a month ago and that’s a bench rule. Guys don’t shoot shots in front of our bench to go back to their bench and feel good about themselves. If I’m gonna ask the guys to contest, the staff is going to do the same.”

Now, who doesn’t love a little competitive spirit?

That’s the exact sort of psycho behavior that has endeared many Celtics fans to the second-year man in charge.

Apparently… there is someone who isn’t a fan, but who??

Was it Brad Stevens? Wyc Grousbeck?? Perhaps the traditional-uniform-hating NBA Commissioner Adam Silver????

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Stevens being Mazzulla’s direct superior lands him as one of our suspects here. Having been the head coach of the Celtics for years, I’m sure he’s got some sort of idea how he’d like Mazzulla to behave on the bench.

However, I’m not so sure that this is the sort of thing that would get Brad fired up. Stevens was, of course, always mild-mannered whilst on the bench (except that one time he got himself ejected). But, there is certainly a competitive spirit within him that has to respect the level of commitment Mazzulla is showing to his players.

As Joe said, he wants to lead by example. He isn’t going to not do the very thing that he asks his players to do. That would be pretty out of character to be honest. I’m sure Stevens has an admiration for that mindset.

Plus, Stevens has gotten into the flow of the game before. Who could forget his vicious pump fake in Sacramento back in 2021?

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Do we really think that Wyc Grousbeck would frown upon Mazzulla’s competitive behavior? That would be extremely off-brand from the Celtics owner who reportedly went into the team’s locker room in Miami after a Game 3 loss to the Heat and told them to “play with some balls.”

I’d say that what Mazzulla was doing with his bench-blocking mantra was exactly that, wouldn’t you?

I mean, Wyc is clearly visible in the clip where Joe jumps to block O’Neale’s shot. He stands there, waits, and then claps after the contested shot goes up. This doesn’t seem like the type of thing he’d complain about, it just doesn’t.

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

That brings us to Adam Silver.

As the league’s commissioner, Silver does have a duty to hold all of its members to a certain standard. His office is responsible for handing out fines to players who show a lack of integrity for the game by demeaning officials, taunting opponents, or showing some other lack of decorum.

It would not be shocking in the slightest if Silver decided it was time to rip the joy out of the hearts of Celtics fans who enjoy seeing their coach show some grit.

Then again, this is the same commissioner who was devasted by the lack of effort in last month’s NBA All-Star Game. When announcing the Eastern Conference team as winners, Silver sounded just about as dejected as possible.

So, if Silver did decide to advise Mazzulla to stop trying to block the shots of opposing players, then it may be a bit hypocritical.

Side note: He and Nike also ruined NBA uniforms.