Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
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Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2017/12/bulpett_of_all_danny_ainge_s_picks_brad_stevens_might_be_the_best
Bulpett: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
Steve Bulpett Sunday, December 31, 2017
Is it possible that Danny Ainge’s best acquisition will never score a point for the Celtics?
As the club piled up a few losses in the last couple of weeks and people came to the conclusion that, no, the Celts are not the best team on the planet, a few scouts and others said greater light is being shed on what coach Brad Stevens has done since he arrived to get more out of the C’s than the sum of their parts.
“Best move Danny ever made,” one NBA executive said. “No question.”
Ainge isn’t about to say anything that will take credit from the people in sneakers who make the plays, he knows the value of the person who draws those plays up.
The Celtics were trying hard to keep Doc Rivers in 2013, but Stevens has worked out better than even Doc might have with a constantly changing roster.
“Well, listen, when I hired Brad, I believed he would be a very good NBA coach,” Ainge said. “I certainly didn’t know it, because he had never coached in the NBA, but I knew he was a great person, and I knew he was smart, and I knew he had a great work ethic. And that’s a great place to start, and that often times leads to success.
“You know, Brad was an outstanding move, yeah. He’s a joy to work with. I think that not only is he fun for me to work with, he’s fun for everybody to work with. I think he’s someone that respects every person in the organization, from the lowest-level people all the way up to Wyc and Pags (part-owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca). I think he has relationships with everybody in the entire organization. And that makes my job easier, because so much of my job is managing people, and when there’s conflict, it just makes my job harder. So having a guy like Brad around makes my job easier, and I can focus on more important things.”
Cuban: Fill ’er up
The Mavericks have sold out 656 consecutive regular-season games, a streak that extends to 723 when playoffs are included. And Dallas owner Mark Cuban isn’t averse to going to great lengths to keep it alive.
Cheap seats are always available in an attempt to make sure all the tickets are sold, if not occupied (particularly in the lower regions where season ticket-holders occasionally skip games).
“Look, I’m not going to say people are just lining up to buy our tickets,” Cuban said, “but my attitude is I’d rather have a thousand kids in the building than any empty seats. Seats are perishable, so we’ll keep our sellout streak alive by hook or crook.
“The way the league is right now, your ticket sales, particularly upstairs, are a diminishing percentage of your revenue.”
This week’s C’s timeline
Today, vs. Brooklyn, 5:30 p.m. — Just before ringing in the new year, the Celtics will have to wring out their sweaty uniforms with a final basketball toast to 2017. The Nets present a far greater challenge than recent editions, which could make this an entertaining end to the calendar year. Among the changes in 2017 was that Celts fans no longer have to root against Brooklyn. With the last of the first-round picks from the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett deal sent to Cleveland for Kyrie Irving, the Nets’ fortunes are not a critical part of the Celtics future.
Wednesday, vs. Cleveland, 8 p.m. — Did somebody say challenge? The Cavs proved last season that when you’re as good as they are, regular-season records and seeding mean little. They are still the mountain the Celts must climb. And in a side story that could steal the show, Isaiah Thomas may be able to make his return to Boston as an active participant.
Friday, vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m. — This game was switched from a later start time to accommodate national television. The Wolves are a formidable pack, but they have had a few bad losses that give some pause. In other words, they’re still working on getting all that talent to harmonize properly.
Saturday, at Brooklyn, 6 p.m. — This is the C’s last game before heading off to London to face the 76ers Jan. 11. After a busy early schedule to accommodate their desire for space around that game (four days off on either side), the C’s will now get to catch their breath and get into a better routine that will even include some practice time.
bob
MY NOTE: Considering how many Top Division 1 NCAA teams and NBA teams are said to have tried to get Brad to leave Butler, and failed, that really was one of the greatest coups of Danny tenure as GM. The Pierce/KG trade was big too, Brad's team today is built off of that trade, but it's clear to me that Brad would be be speaking positively about the lemonade he's making now even if that trade never happened. Everybody, from IT to Jae to Horford to Kyrie have all bought into Brad and his system. When Kyrie was asked, after the Houston game where the Rockets were forced to burn both of their final two timeouts in the final 30 seconds because they couldn't inbound the ball, how they got so good at inbounding defense he had a simple two-word answer.
"Brad Stevens"
.
Bulpett: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
Steve Bulpett Sunday, December 31, 2017
Credit: Courtesy
BRAD STEVENSIs it possible that Danny Ainge’s best acquisition will never score a point for the Celtics?
As the club piled up a few losses in the last couple of weeks and people came to the conclusion that, no, the Celts are not the best team on the planet, a few scouts and others said greater light is being shed on what coach Brad Stevens has done since he arrived to get more out of the C’s than the sum of their parts.
“Best move Danny ever made,” one NBA executive said. “No question.”
Ainge isn’t about to say anything that will take credit from the people in sneakers who make the plays, he knows the value of the person who draws those plays up.
The Celtics were trying hard to keep Doc Rivers in 2013, but Stevens has worked out better than even Doc might have with a constantly changing roster.
“Well, listen, when I hired Brad, I believed he would be a very good NBA coach,” Ainge said. “I certainly didn’t know it, because he had never coached in the NBA, but I knew he was a great person, and I knew he was smart, and I knew he had a great work ethic. And that’s a great place to start, and that often times leads to success.
“You know, Brad was an outstanding move, yeah. He’s a joy to work with. I think that not only is he fun for me to work with, he’s fun for everybody to work with. I think he’s someone that respects every person in the organization, from the lowest-level people all the way up to Wyc and Pags (part-owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca). I think he has relationships with everybody in the entire organization. And that makes my job easier, because so much of my job is managing people, and when there’s conflict, it just makes my job harder. So having a guy like Brad around makes my job easier, and I can focus on more important things.”
Cuban: Fill ’er up
The Mavericks have sold out 656 consecutive regular-season games, a streak that extends to 723 when playoffs are included. And Dallas owner Mark Cuban isn’t averse to going to great lengths to keep it alive.
Cheap seats are always available in an attempt to make sure all the tickets are sold, if not occupied (particularly in the lower regions where season ticket-holders occasionally skip games).
“Look, I’m not going to say people are just lining up to buy our tickets,” Cuban said, “but my attitude is I’d rather have a thousand kids in the building than any empty seats. Seats are perishable, so we’ll keep our sellout streak alive by hook or crook.
“The way the league is right now, your ticket sales, particularly upstairs, are a diminishing percentage of your revenue.”
This week’s C’s timeline
Today, vs. Brooklyn, 5:30 p.m. — Just before ringing in the new year, the Celtics will have to wring out their sweaty uniforms with a final basketball toast to 2017. The Nets present a far greater challenge than recent editions, which could make this an entertaining end to the calendar year. Among the changes in 2017 was that Celts fans no longer have to root against Brooklyn. With the last of the first-round picks from the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett deal sent to Cleveland for Kyrie Irving, the Nets’ fortunes are not a critical part of the Celtics future.
Wednesday, vs. Cleveland, 8 p.m. — Did somebody say challenge? The Cavs proved last season that when you’re as good as they are, regular-season records and seeding mean little. They are still the mountain the Celts must climb. And in a side story that could steal the show, Isaiah Thomas may be able to make his return to Boston as an active participant.
Friday, vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m. — This game was switched from a later start time to accommodate national television. The Wolves are a formidable pack, but they have had a few bad losses that give some pause. In other words, they’re still working on getting all that talent to harmonize properly.
Saturday, at Brooklyn, 6 p.m. — This is the C’s last game before heading off to London to face the 76ers Jan. 11. After a busy early schedule to accommodate their desire for space around that game (four days off on either side), the C’s will now get to catch their breath and get into a better routine that will even include some practice time.
bob
MY NOTE: Considering how many Top Division 1 NCAA teams and NBA teams are said to have tried to get Brad to leave Butler, and failed, that really was one of the greatest coups of Danny tenure as GM. The Pierce/KG trade was big too, Brad's team today is built off of that trade, but it's clear to me that Brad would be be speaking positively about the lemonade he's making now even if that trade never happened. Everybody, from IT to Jae to Horford to Kyrie have all bought into Brad and his system. When Kyrie was asked, after the Houston game where the Rockets were forced to burn both of their final two timeouts in the final 30 seconds because they couldn't inbound the ball, how they got so good at inbounding defense he had a simple two-word answer.
"Brad Stevens"
.
bobheckler- Posts : 61457
Join date : 2009-10-28
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
Acquiring Ray Allen and KG was no small potatoes either, but yes, getting Brad was a really great move.
worcester- Posts : 11526
Join date : 2009-10-31
Age : 77
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
Danny made multiple good moves for the 2008 title. Pj Brown comes to mind. Getting KG and Ray might have saved his job. Ainge was sort of a late bloomer for making great trades. Nothing will match getting the four #1's, but that might be because of luck more than skill.
Danny was very clever getting Isaiah, Crowder and the recent trades for Kyrie and the additional #1 pick plus Tatum are looking almost as good as any of his moves for reasoned logic. He saw something in Jaylen Brown. He signed Horford.
Brad Stevens is great, but it's tough to call it Danny's best move. It's like saying what was the best Beatles' song or who is the greatest basketball player of all time. It gets very subjective.Take away any of the other big moves and Brad Stevens might be leading us to good job, good effort, but not NBA finals. It's up there for importance. He is outstanding. He can play the ego game like Doc, but he can also study stats and trends and not just fill in lineup cards. He is the old school coach as teacher and close in age to players or more familiar with them from college days. That might help. He played college ball.
Kyrie's dad was a star at Boston University. That probably means he's happy here or that it seems right to him as in fate. Everything is lining up.
Horford is improving as a player. I think he's already 31. Irving seems hungry to play it the team way. We'd have some easier wins perhaps here and there if he hogged it more, but he is buying in for team goals and the greater good. I don't mean to downplay Brad Stevens. I'm feeling confident again about the Celtics and especially with how they match up with LeBron.
30-10 looks solid for wins and losses. 30-12 is doable for 60 wins if the team stays healthy. That should be enough for the ECF top seed. This ain't no bridge year for me.
Danny was very clever getting Isaiah, Crowder and the recent trades for Kyrie and the additional #1 pick plus Tatum are looking almost as good as any of his moves for reasoned logic. He saw something in Jaylen Brown. He signed Horford.
Brad Stevens is great, but it's tough to call it Danny's best move. It's like saying what was the best Beatles' song or who is the greatest basketball player of all time. It gets very subjective.Take away any of the other big moves and Brad Stevens might be leading us to good job, good effort, but not NBA finals. It's up there for importance. He is outstanding. He can play the ego game like Doc, but he can also study stats and trends and not just fill in lineup cards. He is the old school coach as teacher and close in age to players or more familiar with them from college days. That might help. He played college ball.
Kyrie's dad was a star at Boston University. That probably means he's happy here or that it seems right to him as in fate. Everything is lining up.
Horford is improving as a player. I think he's already 31. Irving seems hungry to play it the team way. We'd have some easier wins perhaps here and there if he hogged it more, but he is buying in for team goals and the greater good. I don't mean to downplay Brad Stevens. I'm feeling confident again about the Celtics and especially with how they match up with LeBron.
30-10 looks solid for wins and losses. 30-12 is doable for 60 wins if the team stays healthy. That should be enough for the ECF top seed. This ain't no bridge year for me.
Phil Pressey- Posts : 2063
Join date : 2017-10-24
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
My initial estimate was 58 wins. The Celtics are on pace to reach at least 60.
Going forward, one of the biggest strengths of this team is handling upheaval. Injuries have been almost a constant factor in the lineups. Youth is another factor, because many of the players getting minutes have been very young. Stevens makes some mistakes tactically in-game, but I think he does an incredible job keeping his team competitive.
This Cleveland game is huge. They beat us 102-99, a game that for about 1 1/2 quarters we were mentally checked out of after seeing Hayward go down with his injury. Even still, we almost pulled off the comeback with a young team that barely had any experience playing together.
Since that game, we've beaten teams like GSW, TOR, HOU, and OKC, to name just a few. In 3 of those games we saw double-digit deficits. We beat Toronto, a team that has given us quite a bit of trouble in recent years, without Kyrie. Cleveland is the next team we have to beat. In the playoffs, it's likely we'll have to face them.
KJ
Going forward, one of the biggest strengths of this team is handling upheaval. Injuries have been almost a constant factor in the lineups. Youth is another factor, because many of the players getting minutes have been very young. Stevens makes some mistakes tactically in-game, but I think he does an incredible job keeping his team competitive.
This Cleveland game is huge. They beat us 102-99, a game that for about 1 1/2 quarters we were mentally checked out of after seeing Hayward go down with his injury. Even still, we almost pulled off the comeback with a young team that barely had any experience playing together.
Since that game, we've beaten teams like GSW, TOR, HOU, and OKC, to name just a few. In 3 of those games we saw double-digit deficits. We beat Toronto, a team that has given us quite a bit of trouble in recent years, without Kyrie. Cleveland is the next team we have to beat. In the playoffs, it's likely we'll have to face them.
KJ
k_j_88- Posts : 4747
Join date : 2013-01-06
Age : 35
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
So what mistakes does Stevens makes tactically? Given all you have mentioned. I think he has done all that can be expected and more. Hell less than 5 minutes into the season he was thrown a huge curveball and the expected lineup and rotation was thrown for a loop. Then no Morris, Big Al and KI missed some. Brown has been out. Yet look where we are. Stevens expects players to preform at a certain level and play their roll, and many of those are still being defined and will continue to be. And he knows as do we all that players have off games. Then the scramble is on to adjust for those times.
Not saying he is perfect but he is damn close given the entire situation.
beat
Not saying he is perfect but he is damn close given the entire situation.
beat
beat- Posts : 7032
Join date : 2009-10-13
Age : 70
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
The fact that he got so many different types of players (meaning personalities) to buy into his coaching tactics and moves. I was afraid
Kyrie might be the one who wouldn't buy in totally, but it is obvious, he has. Brad is not just a coach, he is a mentor, a. Friend, anything needed. I just read an article where he is privately working with Gordon Hayward on a video game that they can use to help in his recovery. Sounds crazy, but, they have signed a contract and cannot talk about what they are working on. Wild idea to me, but up to date, current with what is going on with young people today. The Celtics are on board with this also. So the lengths that Brad will go thru to help a player is remarkable.
We have a gem, and here's hoping that he is here for a few banners!!
Kyrie might be the one who wouldn't buy in totally, but it is obvious, he has. Brad is not just a coach, he is a mentor, a. Friend, anything needed. I just read an article where he is privately working with Gordon Hayward on a video game that they can use to help in his recovery. Sounds crazy, but, they have signed a contract and cannot talk about what they are working on. Wild idea to me, but up to date, current with what is going on with young people today. The Celtics are on board with this also. So the lengths that Brad will go thru to help a player is remarkable.
We have a gem, and here's hoping that he is here for a few banners!!
RosalieTCeltics- Posts : 40164
Join date : 2009-10-17
Age : 76
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
beat wrote:So what mistakes does Stevens makes tactically? Given all you have mentioned. I think he has done all that can be expected and more. Hell less than 5 minutes into the season he was thrown a huge curveball and the expected lineup and rotation was thrown for a loop. Then no Morris, Big Al and KI missed some. Brown has been out. Yet look where we are. Stevens expects players to preform at a certain level and play their roll, and many of those are still being defined and will continue to be. And he knows as do we all that players have off games. Then the scramble is on to adjust for those times.
Not saying he is perfect but he is damn close given the entire situation.
beat
What mistakes?
His timeouts for one. He'll let the opposing team get a full head of steam while the C's are making consecutive turnovers. The deficits grow as a result. I know this team has made a lot of comebacks, but having to do so nightly is not ideal. Also, his lack of focus on the team getting the ball to the hot-handed shooters has also been a problem. The scoring droughts we've seen that last 3 or more minutes are not a fluke. I understand the "free-flowing" offense concept but that has its problems when used 100% of the time. It's fine if everyone on the court is a shooter but not everyone in the rotation has been consistent. Last, this team does not play with enough pace. We have the youth and athleticism to run but we barely do. Instead, we allow teams to set up their defense and we take contested shots. Fastbreak points ought to be an effective part of our offense but we don't even utilize it. If you watch Golden State, they waste no time. Whether it's a made or missed shot for the opponent, they're chucking the ball down the court for an easy bucket. This literally demoralizes other teams. Why aren't we doing it, too?
I think he's a great coach. But those are the biggest flaws I've seen.
KJ
k_j_88- Posts : 4747
Join date : 2013-01-06
Age : 35
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
Someone mentioned that Tommy Heinsohn and Brad should have meeting of the minds sessions together. I agree with KJ that Brad needs to mix it up a little more and not be as predictable with the motion offense.
But it's tough to argue against Stevens and not look foolish. So I tend not to go after him as much as say the easy target Marcus Smart. And I'm done doing that, too.
Rosalie, Kyrie's dad starred at Boston University. This is big picture time. I don't think Kyrie is going anywhere for at least this contract and then another big one. He will grow as a person and player. He definitely is buying in. Rondo tried to buy in, but he had the contract hanging over him, a major injury to recover from and the roster wasn't ready to keep up with a Rondo caliber player.
i like the idea of Gordon Hayward doing mental activities. He was shooting buckets from a chair. A number of people are saying shut him down until next season, but I say never say never. If he's healed and there's no extra risk, then he should be able to help even with rust. He could be a scorer off the bench.
Tatum might grow a couple more inches and reach Durant, maybe even KG height. Then wow what a team. Kyrie, Brown, Hayward, Tatum and Horford. Then we are the Golden State monster. This could be the last year the Celtics are underappreciated or underrated. Not many seem to want to believe they are a top team right now. I'm going to hold my ground. This could be another season in which Boston humiliates LeBron forcing him to yet another city to ring chase.
But it's tough to argue against Stevens and not look foolish. So I tend not to go after him as much as say the easy target Marcus Smart. And I'm done doing that, too.
Rosalie, Kyrie's dad starred at Boston University. This is big picture time. I don't think Kyrie is going anywhere for at least this contract and then another big one. He will grow as a person and player. He definitely is buying in. Rondo tried to buy in, but he had the contract hanging over him, a major injury to recover from and the roster wasn't ready to keep up with a Rondo caliber player.
i like the idea of Gordon Hayward doing mental activities. He was shooting buckets from a chair. A number of people are saying shut him down until next season, but I say never say never. If he's healed and there's no extra risk, then he should be able to help even with rust. He could be a scorer off the bench.
Tatum might grow a couple more inches and reach Durant, maybe even KG height. Then wow what a team. Kyrie, Brown, Hayward, Tatum and Horford. Then we are the Golden State monster. This could be the last year the Celtics are underappreciated or underrated. Not many seem to want to believe they are a top team right now. I'm going to hold my ground. This could be another season in which Boston humiliates LeBron forcing him to yet another city to ring chase.
Phil Pressey- Posts : 2063
Join date : 2017-10-24
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
Time outs are precious. They have less now than in past years too boot. How many times are they needed at the end of games? If he was to take them every time a team goes on a run we’d run out pretty quick. He allows them to play through these spots many times. I don’t think that’s a flaw but rather a strategy. We are still learning each other whereas the team you mentioned has been together for years.k_j_88 wrote:beat wrote:So what mistakes does Stevens makes tactically? Given all you have mentioned. I think he has done all that can be expected and more. Hell less than 5 minutes into the season he was thrown a huge curveball and the expected lineup and rotation was thrown for a loop. Then no Morris, Big Al and KI missed some. Brown has been out. Yet look where we are. Stevens expects players to preform at a certain level and play their roll, and many of those are still being defined and will continue to be. And he knows as do we all that players have off games. Then the scramble is on to adjust for those times.
Not saying he is perfect but he is damn close given the entire situation.
beat
What mistakes?
His timeouts for one. He'll let the opposing team get a full head of steam while the C's are making consecutive turnovers. The deficits grow as a result. I know this team has made a lot of comebacks, but having to do so nightly is not ideal. Also, his lack of focus on the team getting the ball to the hot-handed shooters has also been a problem. The scoring droughts we've seen that last 3 or more minutes are not a fluke. I understand the "free-flowing" offense concept but that has its problems when used 100% of the time. It's fine if everyone on the court is a shooter but not everyone in the rotation has been consistent. Last, this team does not play with enough pace. We have the youth and athleticism to run but we barely do. Instead, we allow teams to set up their defense and we take contested shots. Fastbreak points ought to be an effective part of our offense but we don't even utilize it. If you watch Golden State, they waste no time. Whether it's a made or missed shot for the opponent, they're chucking the ball down the court for an easy bucket. This literally demoralizes other teams. Why aren't we doing it, too?
I think he's a great coach. But those are the biggest flaws I've seen.
KJ
Patience.
We are getting there.
beat
beat- Posts : 7032
Join date : 2009-10-13
Age : 70
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
beat wrote:Time outs are precious. They have less now than in past years too boot. How many times are they needed at the end of games? If he was to take them every time a team goes on a run we’d run out pretty quick. He allows them to play through these spots many times. I don’t think that’s a flaw but rather a strategy. We are still learning each other whereas the team you mentioned has been together for years.k_j_88 wrote:beat wrote:So what mistakes does Stevens makes tactically? Given all you have mentioned. I think he has done all that can be expected and more. Hell less than 5 minutes into the season he was thrown a huge curveball and the expected lineup and rotation was thrown for a loop. Then no Morris, Big Al and KI missed some. Brown has been out. Yet look where we are. Stevens expects players to preform at a certain level and play their roll, and many of those are still being defined and will continue to be. And he knows as do we all that players have off games. Then the scramble is on to adjust for those times.
Not saying he is perfect but he is damn close given the entire situation.
beat
What mistakes?
His timeouts for one. He'll let the opposing team get a full head of steam while the C's are making consecutive turnovers. The deficits grow as a result. I know this team has made a lot of comebacks, but having to do so nightly is not ideal. Also, his lack of focus on the team getting the ball to the hot-handed shooters has also been a problem. The scoring droughts we've seen that last 3 or more minutes are not a fluke. I understand the "free-flowing" offense concept but that has its problems when used 100% of the time. It's fine if everyone on the court is a shooter but not everyone in the rotation has been consistent. Last, this team does not play with enough pace. We have the youth and athleticism to run but we barely do. Instead, we allow teams to set up their defense and we take contested shots. Fastbreak points ought to be an effective part of our offense but we don't even utilize it. If you watch Golden State, they waste no time. Whether it's a made or missed shot for the opponent, they're chucking the ball down the court for an easy bucket. This literally demoralizes other teams. Why aren't we doing it, too?
I think he's a great coach. But those are the biggest flaws I've seen.
KJ
Patience.
We are getting there.
beat
The Celtics are the lowest scoring second quarter team in the league. Time outs also do not carry over into the second half. I'm sure they can be used to make quicker adjustments before waiting till halftime. I consider it a flaw because you have to identify when the team is not doing what it needs to be doing. Consistently making bad pass after bad pass and just jacking up 3s with no one moving around the court to break down the defense are clearly moments where the team needs to be talked to.
Also, I mentioned Golden State to make the crux of my argument about pace. Yes, they are the best team and have had a few years together. So what? The Celtics are young and can run. That's what we need to be doing. We don't need to have played together for 3+ years to know to get the ball down the court instead of dribbling it up. That is a fundamental flaw to Stevens' approach. He does not really emphasize pace as a meaningful aspect of the offense. Our shot attempts are too low, and it doesn't help on nights that we have a lot of turnovers. The pace needs to be ramped up, plain and simple. Otherwise, we will continue to see offensive droughts because the shots we're taking are contested.
KJ
KJ
k_j_88- Posts : 4747
Join date : 2013-01-06
Age : 35
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
Might be.
The wise part was not resorting back to the usual retread suspects on the NBA coaching carousel.
Drawing in fresh new thinking from the college ranks was a bold and intelligent move by Ainge.
Stevens has proven himself both in his prep work and in-game strategy. The roster is becoming better rounded to allow him to execute a broader game plan. Stevens just needs a few more elements to work with, like rebounding, a stronger interior presence, and a little deeper, higher quality bench. Another productive draft and the addition of Hayward should help significantly.
At the season's half-way point, with the second best record in the league, it looks like Stevens is getting a young group ready for serious contention. Hard to find much fault with the coaching in such an enjoyable season, and on a team with so much near-term upside potential.
The wise part was not resorting back to the usual retread suspects on the NBA coaching carousel.
Drawing in fresh new thinking from the college ranks was a bold and intelligent move by Ainge.
Stevens has proven himself both in his prep work and in-game strategy. The roster is becoming better rounded to allow him to execute a broader game plan. Stevens just needs a few more elements to work with, like rebounding, a stronger interior presence, and a little deeper, higher quality bench. Another productive draft and the addition of Hayward should help significantly.
At the season's half-way point, with the second best record in the league, it looks like Stevens is getting a young group ready for serious contention. Hard to find much fault with the coaching in such an enjoyable season, and on a team with so much near-term upside potential.
NYCelt- Posts : 10626
Join date : 2009-10-12
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
beat wrote:
Time outs are precious. They have less now than in past years too boot. How many times are they needed at the end of games? If he was to take them every time a team goes on a run we’d run out pretty quick. He allows them to play through these spots many times. I don’t think that’s a flaw but rather a strategy. We are still learning each other whereas the team you mentioned has been together for years.
Patience.
We are getting there.
beat
+1
Not to mention, Coach Stevens calls PLENTY of time outs - mostly when the team in not executing defensively, so clearly he is not trying to save his TO. He has a very well considered approach to coaching, one that we are not privy to and one that I trust more than any other basketball mind in the NBA.
I cant help but feel like many of those times, when he lets the team absorb a opposition run without calling a time out - is the incendiary that fuels a comeback like the one against Houston. He is letting his young team take their lumps now and play through adversity, knowing it will pay dividends in the long run.
mrkleen09- Posts : 3873
Join date : 2009-10-16
Age : 55
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
mrkleen09 wrote:beat wrote:
Time outs are precious. They have less now than in past years too boot. How many times are they needed at the end of games? If he was to take them every time a team goes on a run we’d run out pretty quick. He allows them to play through these spots many times. I don’t think that’s a flaw but rather a strategy. We are still learning each other whereas the team you mentioned has been together for years.
Patience.
We are getting there.
beat
+1
Not to mention, Coach Stevens calls PLENTY of time outs - mostly when the team in not executing defensively, so clearly he is not trying to save his TO. He has a very well considered approach to coaching, one that we are not privy to and one that I trust more than any other basketball mind in the NBA.
I cant help but feel like many of those times, when he lets the team absorb a opposition run without calling a time out - is the incendiary that fuels a comeback like the one against Houston. He is letting his young team take their lumps now and play through adversity, knowing it will pay dividends in the long run.
beat and kleen,
Right on the money. A good coach knows when NOT to call a time out.
Regards
NYCelt- Posts : 10626
Join date : 2009-10-12
Re: Of all Danny Ainge’s picks, Brad Stevens might be the best
And as far as I've seen, NO ONE has even suggested that Stevens is a bad coach.
In terms of time outs, refer to my comments on our second quarter play. Taking the context out of it misconstrues the actual points.
KJ
In terms of time outs, refer to my comments on our second quarter play. Taking the context out of it misconstrues the actual points.
KJ
k_j_88- Posts : 4747
Join date : 2013-01-06
Age : 35
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