The Future Is Here: Joe Mazzulla Admits He Uses Claude To Help With His Coaching Thoughts And Practice Plans

Maddie Meyer. Getty Images.

Here's the thing. I'm not anti-technology. I'm not someone who thinks there are no potential benefits from using AI in your everyday life. As time goes by and technology advances, that technology transitions into becoming a part of everyday life. I mean, you're reading this blog on the internet right now. Maybe you're on your smartphone using the app. Things that may have felt weird once upon a time are now normal. Remember Y2K? We're obviously in the infancy stage of AI and all that smart people shit, so who knows how that will transition into "normal" in the future.

Having said that, I also read all of Dante's blogs about this very topic, and I can't lie I tend to agree with him on most of his concerns. Eventually, this shit is going to turn against us. It's why I found myself aligning with Dante on #TeamHuman every time he would blog another story about AI going rogue or all of these potential warning signs that nobody seems to care about.

But here's what I also know. 

I am very much in favor of whatever the hell helps the Boston Celtics win basketball games. Last time I checked, no team in the NBA has won more basketball games than the Joe Mazzulla Celtics. Sorry if that fact offends you, but it's the truth. Who am I to say what Joe should or shouldn't do in order to ensure that continues? He wants to drop his practice plans into AI and see where he can be more efficient? I say go nuts! Do I love that he admitted this information and I'll now have to deal with "AI Hoops" jokes for the rest of time? Not particularly, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make if it continues to lead to wins. 

And I do think if used properly, there's a place for AI to enhance all of our experiences. As long as you don't overly rely on it, what's the harm? Then again, I'm not exactly an AI expert. With all these reports of agents going rogue, are we 1000000000% positive that couldn't happen with how Joe is using it? What if the agent is actually a sleeper cell Lakers agent or something? What if it starts giving Joe ideas that it knows are bad? I ask this because I can't help but notice the Celtics' 3PA rate is way down, and their long-midrange FGA are WAY up, despite only shooting 38% on that shot. It's objectively, not a good plan. We're especially seeing it with Jayson Tatum, who is taking 23% of his shots from long-midrange while having the lowest 3PAr of his career. Bad! 

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So I want to know, did this sudden change in approach come from that asshole Claude? Did it tell Joe that #actually, taking long contested 2s are better than open 3s even though we all know that's not true? I'm not ruling that out. 

In professional sports, everyone is looking for an edge. I think at this point you're naive if you don't think every pro team in every sport has some sort of AI involvement in some way. The same way using advanced analytics across sports became the norm, the same is going to happen with AI. You don't have to like it, I don't have to like it, but that's just the way it is. The toothpaste is out of the tube and there's definitely no turning back.