In a candid discussion, Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla expressed his desire to adopt a more dynamic and confrontational style of playing basketball, drawing parallels with sports like hockey. Mazzulla said, "Basketball is one of the only sports without power play," suggesting that the absence of this behavior reduces the arousal potential. He explained the scenario of a technical foul or a foul grip, saying, “You get a shot, but you’re not really rewarded for it. If you miss it, you don’t get anything from the foul. We have to implement a format similar to a power play, where after those infractions, the offending team must play five-on-four for a short period of time, maybe five seconds or allow three passes.”
When a reporter brought up the possibility of a team being at a disadvantage for an entire possession, Mazzulla stood his ground, saying, “I think it might be a little bit too much. But we have to build power plays so that when a foul happens, the fouled player moves to the other side of the court, and has to stay in the middle circle of the ground for approximately three seconds.”
Mazzulla also expressed his enthusiasm for incorporating an element of physicality into the game, lamenting the lack of confrontations on the court that he believes would enhance the NBA’s entertainment value. “The biggest thing we’re depriving people of, entertainment-wise, is a lack of fighting. We should think about bringing that back.
Further drawing comparisons to other sports, he questioned why sports such as baseball allowed bench fights and why hockey adopted the fight, expressing confusion at the more restrained nature of basketball. “You can go to a baseball game – why is it allowed in baseball to empty the bench? Why is it allowed in hockey? I don’t understand,” thought Mazzulla.
This is not the first time Mazzulla has advocated for more physicality in basketball. After the playoff confrontation between the Celtics and the Heat last season, where Jaylen Brown and Caleb Martin exchanged words after Martin’s heavy foul on Jayson Tatum, Mazzulla expressed his happiness. “I was very excited about the whole situation. So I enjoyed watching it,” he spoke in April.
Although the NBA does not want to include full-fledged fights in the game, Mazzulla’s thoughts highlight a desire for a more lively and face-to-face atmosphere on the court.