Apparently, J.J. Redick could have found himself helping to call the shots for the Boston Celtics.
Having conversations with Derrick White on his ‘The Old Man And The Three’ podcast, the retired cager disclosed that he almost joined Joe Mazzulla’s staff, days after the young interim mentor had inherited the keys of the Celtics’ coaching upon Ime Udoka’s season-long suspension.
Redick was coincidentally in Boston, and he played golf and had conversations with Mazzulla about potentially aiding him on the sidelines, but this plan of his didn’t take place as it is.
“One thing leads to another, Sunday morning of that weekend, I’m playing golf with Joe, talking about joining your staff,” Redick said. “I was just so impressed by him. I spent four-and-a-half hours with him.”
Still, Redick has nothing but praise for Mazzulla in his first year of mentoring the Cs.
Amid initial pressure from the Udoka scandal and the fact that he is a neophyte lead play-caller, the 34-year-old Mazzulla has managed to maneuver the title-contending Celtics to a dominant and league-best 21-5 card so far this season.
“He has done a remarkable job for where you guys were, coming off the pressure situation with Ime,” Redick said of Mazzulla. “He has stepped in and it seems it’s been pretty seamless, particularly the improvement on offense.”
Redick appears to be a good candidate for coaching given his wits, playing experience, and the analyst position he holds at ESPN following his retirement. Who knows what will unfold in the future, but he definitely deserves a decent shot.