Clearly, the Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t happy with how his team defended the paint early on during their 122-90 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.
Why Did Joe Mazzulla Disrespect DeAndre Jordan?
DeAndre Jordan, who signed with the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, suited up for the first time this season against Boston and finished with seven points and five rebounds in 11 minutes off the bench.
Two of those points came on a two-handed slam after he got both Derrick White and Neemias Queta to bite on a pump fake.
Mazzulla, as he typically is, was blunt in his assessment of the Celtics’ defense.
“DeAndre Jordan was on the street four days ago, and you let him come in here and dunk on you.”
Mazzulla’s intent was likely not to throw shade at Jordan but to motivate Boston’s defense. His coaching style is certainly unique, but it has proven effective. He led the Celtics to a title in 2024, and he inspired them to hold the Pelicans to 38 points in the paint, which is significantly lower than New Orleans’ season average of 54.7 points in the paint.
That was enough for Boston to get its first win of the season after starting 0-3. The last time the Celtics started a season that poorly, they went on to finish 25-57 and draft Marcus Smart with the No. 6 pick.
The absence of Jayson Tatum (Achilles) has been devastating, and the trades that sent out Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday haven’t helped the situation. Though they will still field a competitive roster, this is clearly a retooling season for the Celtics.
For the Pelicans, they fell to 0-3, though their first two outings of the season were much closer than their matchup with Boston was. The absence of Zion Williamson, who was sidelined with a bone contusion in his left foot, proved to be too much for New Orleans to overcome.
This hasn’t been the start the Pelicans dreamed of after they dealt the rights to their 2026 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks to move up and select Derik Queen with the No. 13 pick in the draft in June. At 37 years old, DeAndre Jordan won’t be dunking the ball often this season, though he was able to turn the clock back to 2012 for at least one play. However, he will provide New Orleans with a veteran presence in the locker room to help this team make a postseason push.
