Gives greater insight into why Batt jumped on the opportunity to hire this guy, especially for the lowest contract in the ACC.
From the article: Damon Stoudamire, initially expected by several players and coaches to be a favorite for the interim job, later said Mazzulla contacted him upon earning the promotion. Mazzulla told Stoudamire he trusted him and considered him his right-hand man.
“Joe is a great dude,” Stoudamire said in December while acting as head coach for a game when Mazzulla was sidelined by an eye injury. “Got to know him a lot last year. Our friendship has just continued as we’ve moved forward this season.”
Beyond Udoka, the Celtics staff faced a depletion of talent that raised the difficulty of Mazzulla’s job. Will Hardy took over as Utah Jazz head coach in June and turned them into one of the NBA’s biggest surprises. Multiple team sources both on the roster and the staff said Stoudamire’s departure to lead Georgia Tech in March left a significant void in the team’s leadership structure. He was known for having a good feel for when and how to talk to players, understand their motivations, and pull from his own experiences when making recommendations for how the team should operate.
Of the remaining coaches, only Aaron Miles, who appeared in 19 games for the Warriors in 2005, reached the NBA as a player. Including Stoudamire, the Celtics essentially lost three coaches without replacing any of them.
“It’s not like Damon had a certain power, but players really respected him,” said one team source. “Joe used Damon to have a guy that’s been here that’s played that can speak to them. Damon could speak their language and no one else on the staff can do (it).”
From the article: Damon Stoudamire, initially expected by several players and coaches to be a favorite for the interim job, later said Mazzulla contacted him upon earning the promotion. Mazzulla told Stoudamire he trusted him and considered him his right-hand man.
“Joe is a great dude,” Stoudamire said in December while acting as head coach for a game when Mazzulla was sidelined by an eye injury. “Got to know him a lot last year. Our friendship has just continued as we’ve moved forward this season.”
Beyond Udoka, the Celtics staff faced a depletion of talent that raised the difficulty of Mazzulla’s job. Will Hardy took over as Utah Jazz head coach in June and turned them into one of the NBA’s biggest surprises. Multiple team sources both on the roster and the staff said Stoudamire’s departure to lead Georgia Tech in March left a significant void in the team’s leadership structure. He was known for having a good feel for when and how to talk to players, understand their motivations, and pull from his own experiences when making recommendations for how the team should operate.
Of the remaining coaches, only Aaron Miles, who appeared in 19 games for the Warriors in 2005, reached the NBA as a player. Including Stoudamire, the Celtics essentially lost three coaches without replacing any of them.
“It’s not like Damon had a certain power, but players really respected him,” said one team source. “Joe used Damon to have a guy that’s been here that’s played that can speak to them. Damon could speak their language and no one else on the staff can do (it).”
