Grant Williams in contrast Ime Udoka’s and Joe Mazzulla’s teaching philosophies

Celtics

He feels as if they emphasize various things on the courtroom.

Grant Williams high-fives Joe Mazzulla as he comes off the courtroom. Jim Davis/Globe Employees

Two years in the past, the Celtics completed second within the NBA in defensive ranking beneath head coach Ime Udoka and relied on their connectivity on that finish to advance to the NBA Finals.

Final season, they dipped to tenth in that class beneath head coach Joe Mazzulla and regarded out of types defensively in key stretches.

On the flip aspect, they have been ninth in offensive ranking beneath Udoka in 2021-22 and fourth beneath Mazzulla in 2022-23.

Former Celtics ahead Grant Williams, now a member of the Dallas Mavericks, supplied some perception into why that development could have existed.

Williams, talking on “The Previous Man and the Three” podcast with JJ Redick and Tommy Alter earlier this week, stated coaches within the NBA have completely different philosophies or beliefs. He feels as if it largely boils all the way down to a “matter of emphasis.”

Udoka relied on the notion that if an opponent scored within the 80s or 90s, the Celtics would have a extremely good likelihood to beat them. Mazzulla typically preached how if the Celtics hit 20 3-pointers in a recreation, they’d have a extremely good likelihood to win.

“That’s why I believe this previous 12 months’s workforce had a bit of bit much less connectivity on the defensive aspect of the ball,” Williams stated. “It wasn’t essentially the precedence or emphasis, whereas within the years prior, it had been. That’s not a knock or something like that.”

Redick stated that two years in the past, the Celtics have been pretty much as good as he’s seen within the trendy NBA when it got here to rotations and serving to the helper. He stated he didn’t essentially really feel that or watch that this 12 months, and Williams didn’t dispute the declare.

He additionally requested Williams in regards to the Celtics’ inconsistency with late-game execution. Williams stated the issue typically stemmed from position gamers not hitting pictures, which led to aggression downhill from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Within the fourth quarter, Williams stated, the tempo slowed down, and the Celtics attempt to ensure they didn’t lose the sport moderately than going out to win it. Having stated that, Williams has seen main strides in that space from Brown, Tatum, and the supporting solid.

“The late recreation has grown,” Williams advised Redick and Alter. “Earlier than, I believe with our two superstars, it wasn’t pure at first for them to go and transfer the ball. They’ve gotten so significantly better at that, which is why I believe our late-game numbers have gotten higher.”