Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla Takes a Step Towards Making History After Impressive Month

Transitioning from sitting behind the bench a season ago to becoming the NBA's youngest active head coach, Joe Mazzulla's first month on the job could not have gone much better.

Everything is going right for the Boston Celtics at the moment. 

Boston sits atop the NBA standings with a sterling 18-4 record, young star Jayson Tatum is one of the favorites to take home the league's Most Valuable Player award because he's been on such a tear, and Robert Williams is nearing a return to the lineup. 

At one point right before the season, things weren't looking up as much as questions swirled around the team after Ime Udoka was suspended for the 2022-23 season. Some wondered how the team would respond. Joe Mazzulla took over the reins as the team's interim head coach and the team has put together one of the best offensives in NBA history. 

If the season were to end today, the Celtics would set the record for the highest offensive rating by a team in a season at 122.2 and it wouldn't be close. The second-best offensive rating all-time is 118.3 set by the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets.

Mazzulla has played an integral part in the Celtics' success this season -- especially in the way he has handled all of the team's injuries outside of Williams -- and got some well-earned recognition Thursday as he was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for a combination of October and November. 

While it's early, if the 34-year-old Rhode Island native wins Coach of the Year, he'd become the first interim-head coach to do so in NBA history. 

Mazzulla has clearly shown through a quarter of the season that he was the right person for the job. With Boston boasting the league's best record at 18-4 and Williams about to return, there's a high likelihood that the team gets even better now. 

Don't be surprised if you see Mazzulla's name pop on this award again at least once throughout the rest of the season. 

Further Reading

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Exploring the Possibility of a Reunion Between the Celtics and Matt Ryan After the Lakers Waived Him

Al Horford Signs Contract Extension That Paves the Way for Him to Finish His Career as a Celtic

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Heat: Boston Prevails in Offensive Slugfest, but Has Much Work to do Defensively

The Top 5 Plays from Wednesday's Celtics-Heat Game

Are Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Best Duo in NBA? Celtics Star Weighs in