Sam Cassell Explains Why He Joined Celtics As Assistant Coach
Is Joe Mazzulla head coach material? I think most Celtics fans think the answer to that question is no. Maybe he doesn’t have to be. Sam Cassell signed on with Boston to become a lead assistant coach. The hope is that Cassell proves to be a vital addition behind the bench.
However, what made Cassell choose Boston as his next landing spot? Cassell spent last season with Doc Rivers but once Doc got canned, Cassell had his pick of the litter once Nick Nurse got the job in Philly. The 15-year NBA vet explained why he picked the Celtics as his next coaching destination.
“Joe made this happen,” Cassell told Heavy Sports in a story published Sunday. “He’s watched me work a couple of guys out before and wanted to understand my personality and how I link to players. We have some mutual friends that he contacted, and we just made it work.”
Way to go, Joe! It’s hard to hate on the hire. Cassell was always a grinder and should bring back some of the toughness that left when Udoka got canned. Cassell also won a ring as a player during his stint with the Celtics. That’s not including the two rings he won with Houston. The guy is a winner and knows what it’s like to be through the grind.
“I’m a great listener to players; I’m a former player, so I understand what they’re going through,” Cassell told Heavy Sports. “Like I tell them all the time, I’ve been each player on a team, from the top guy to the 15th player. I’ve been all those guys. I understand what those guys are going through mentally.”
The Celtics 2022-23 team felt screwed from the get-go when Ime Udoka got suspended by the team. Keep in mind that was on the heels of Will Hardy taking the Utah job and Damon Stoudamire leaving for Georgia Tech. The Celtics weren’t just going with 4th-string coach Joe Mazzulla. They also had zero staff behind him. If Boston fans are looking for reasons to be optimistic, the beefed up staff is one of them.
