Joe Mazzulla was thrown into the fire this season when he was named interim head coach of the Boston Celtics. He had been a part of the Celtics organization since 2019 when he was named an assistant under former head coach Brad Stevens. He stayed on staff under Ime Udoka when Stevens moved into the front office. And he was tasked with leading the team in the aftermath of Udoka's improper relationship with a subordinate and subsequent year-long suspension.

While Udoka's transgressions had the potential to derail the Celtics season, Mazzulla has managed to guide the team to one of the best records in the NBA. Not only that, his 12-3 record as a first-year Celtics head coach has tied Chris Ford for the second best start through 15 games as per ESPN's Stats&Info page. Only Bill Russell had a better start through his first 15 games as Celtics head coach.

Ford first became Celtics head coach during the 1990-91 season after spending seven years as an assistant. That season he led the Celtics to a 12-3 start. Bill Russell became Celtics head coach ahead of the 1966-67 season and his record through his first 15 games was 13-2.

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Under Joe Mazzulla, Jayson Tatum has been having a career-year. He's putting up 31.9 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 blocked shots while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three-point range. He's become one of the leading candidates for the MVP Award.

The Celtics are the top team in the NBA in scoring at 120 points per game. Their 12-3 record is not only the best in the Eastern Conference but the best in the league. With Mazzulla at the helm at Jayson Tatum on the court, the Celtics sure look like a team dead set on getting back to the NBA Finals.