Mazzulla’s response clearly carried some frustration toward the officiating of a particular play in Saturday’s game.
Joe Mazzulla found a clever way to criticize the officiating of Saturday’s game. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Joe Mazzulla is hardly a stranger to humorous lines and interesting comparisons when talking to the media, and he delivered another golden nugget on Saturday night.
The Celtics had a noticeable lack of free throw opportunities throughout the majority of Saturday’s matchup with the Timberwolves. Some no-calls appeared more egregious than others, and one that drew particular attention involved Derrick White being run out of bounds hard by Donte DiVincenzo without drawing a foul.
When a reporter asked Mazzulla about Boston’s physicality after the game, Mazzulla found a creative way to criticize the officiating of the play while likely avoiding a fine.
“It was first and 10 and one of their guys had a great tackle on Derrick White on the sideline, a tackle for a loss,” Mazzulla said. “That was really good by them, so our offensive line’s gotta do a better job winning in the trenches.”
Mazzulla loves football and has spent time with the Patriots on multiple occasions, so the reference is on brand for him. As is the dry nature with which he delivered the quip.
However, there is a larger issue at play beyond that specific missed call. Boston is last in the NBA in free throw attempts per game (18.7). Officials miss calls in every game, but the consistent free throw disparity points to the Celtics being less physical on offense than other teams in the NBA.
Mazzulla’s offense has always revolved around perimeter shooting, which certainly factors into the number of free throw attempts as well. But getting to the line consistently aids offensive success, and would help on nights where Payton Pritchard and Derrick White aren’t shooting efficiently.
Over half the teams in the NBA are averaging at least 25 free throw attempts per game. And two of the Eastern Conference’s most improved teams — the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic — have seen a significant increase in their free throw attempts from last season to this one. The Magic are taking the most free throws per game in the NBA (30.7) after taking only 23 per game last year, and the Pistons went from 22.6 per game last season to 28.3 per game this year.
There is a direct correlation between free throw attempts and overall offensive success, and along with that, it’s hardly a coincidence that Boston’s offense is inconsistent, thanks in part to that disparity. Without Jayson Tatum in the lineup, Jaylen Brown is Boston’s only elite three-level scorer. Too much pressure is put on shooting success, and that isn’t necessarily a recipe for success this season, like it had been for Boston when Tatum was leading the group.
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