Jay Larranaga reportedly turns down return to Celtics' bench
BOSTON -- The Celtics asked Jay Larranaga to return to the team as an assistant on Joe Mazzulla's bench. Larranaga has reportedly turned down that opportunity, according to SI's Chris Mannix.
Larranaga "prefers to remain in Los Angeles" as an assistant on Ty Lue's staff on the Clippers, and it's hard to blame the 47-year-old. The Celtics entered the offseason as the favorites to win a title this season, but they're a bit of a mess at the moment following head coach Ime Udoka's season-long suspension. In Udoka's place, Boston turned to the 34-year-old Mazzulla as the leader on the bench, who has no head coaching experience in the NBA.
Larranaga spent nine years in Boston and would have brought some experience to Mazzulla's staff, but a return to the Celtics would have been a lateral move for the long-time assistant. He's put in his time and it would have created an awkward situation where Larranaga was under someone with less experience, in a job that Larranaga probably wanted at one point in his career.
So he's opted to stay in Los Angeles, coaching a Clippers team that also has some high expectations in 2022-23. If Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can stay healthy -- a big "if" for sure -- the the Clippers could compete for a title this season.
The Celtics will now turn their attention elsewhere as they look to provide some more bench assistance for Mazzulla. According to The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach, Boston has spoken with "several" other assistants as the team considers all of its options.
With the Celtics set to play their first preseason game on Sunday afternoon, expect a new addition to Mazzula's staff in the near future.
