Kendrick Perkins lays into Brad Stevens: ‘If you love Nets so much, go coach them’

Kendrick Perkins lays into Brad Stevens: ‘If you love Nets so much, go coach them’

WEEI By Jesse Pantuosco, Audacy

Brad Stevens has spoken quite highly of the Celtics’ first-round playoff opponent, fawning over Brooklyn’s Big Three of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. “It’s hard to see those guys losing,” said Stevens in praise of Brooklyn, who rolled to a 48-24 regular-season record. “Those guys are the best of the best.” Stevens went on to call the Nets “probably the most talented team that’s been put together since I’ve been in the NBA.”

While Stevens isn’t wrong in his evaluation of the second-seeded Nets, an offensive juggernaut still just scratching the surface of its limitless potential (Durant, Harden and Irving played together a grand total of eight times during the regular season), it’s unusual, bordering on unheard-of for a coach to butter up an opponent this publicly. Kendrick Perkins, who, in addition to his analyst work for ESPN, also serves as part of the Celtics’ pre and post-game coverage on NBC Sports Boston, was floored by Stevens’ remarks, irate that the eighth-year coach would seemingly count out his own team before the series has even begun.

“If you love Brooklyn that much, why don’t you go coach them?” asked a frustrated Perkins during his appearance Thursday on First Take. “I played for the Boston Celtics for eight-and-a-half years. It’s the city of champions. They have something that’s called Celtic pride. That wasn’t Celtic pride. I wouldn’t want to play with Brad Stevens. I can’t go to war with a coach who is sitting there praising and glorifying an opponent I possibly could upset.”



The Celtics enter their first-round series, which begins Saturday night in Brooklyn, as massive underdogs against the Nets, who won all three meetings during the regular season. Even after routing Washington in Tuesday’s play-in game, the reeling C’s have lost five of their last seven while struggling to fill the void left by All-Star Jaylen Brown, who many would argue is Boston’s best all-around player. Still, that’s no reason to roll over and play dead.

“We’re trying to win championships. Get some fire up under you. Right now, you should be telling the team, ‘Let’s go shock the world.’ You’ve got Jayson Tatum, a man who just dropped 50 points the other night in a crucial moment. You’ve still got Kemba Walker,” said Perkins, feeling Stevens’ comments sent the wrong message. “It was just disturbing. I tried to get down with Brad because people think he’s good with X’s and O’s. But this put me over the top.”


Perkins, a former NBA center for Boston, Oklahoma City, Cleveland and New Orleans, has been critical of the Celtics’ head coach before, earlier this year suggesting Stevens had lost control of the locker room. Despite the Celtics underachieving this season (36-36 record), Stevens’ job is not in jeopardy, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

112288

WTF

That is all I can say!

112288

112288 wrote:WTF

That is all I can say!

112288

Hmm. He has a point.

Everything Brad said about the Nets is pretty much on point. He did however go a bit overboard 

When they beat the Celtics down he will refer back to what he said.

Perk was off base.  He went too far with the go coach the Nets comment.  That was a stupid and irrelevant comment.

The message behind what Perk said is really about being a hard nose take no prisoners coach.  Perk has been saying Brad is weak.  This is just a continuation of that narrative.

In my not so popular opinion, his team takes advantage of him. Like a kid takes advantage of weak parents.

Perk is blowing smoke, looking to get a permanent job on ESPN, and frankly, I really do not care what he has to say. This is an attention grabbing attempt. Way out of line, I will be interested to see what happens tonight. He was no where to be found for the Wizards game.

This is a very ill advised reach for Perk. Let's see how it is handled on NBC, I really believe they may be tiring of him also

Agreed I’m getting tired of seeing Perk everyday, he’s better in small dosages. Hope the rest of public is not getting too tired of him. As Clint Eastwood would say “Man has to know his limitations”

That’s his opinion. If one agreed with him there would be no complaints.
I understand where Perk is coming from and I think I understand where Brad is coming from and why he said what he said.

Perk just signed a new deal with ESPN so this whole narrative of him spitting hot takes to get on full time with ESPN is false.
Fact is he was with ESPN before he started doing the Celtics pre and post games.
I doubt seriously if he’s overly concerned about NBC coming after him. They’re probably his biggest cheerleader. He’s getting a reaction and thats a good thing-for them!

NBC just wants eyes on their shows = increased ad revenue.

Brad does not yell much or scream  

That is not a defining trait of disciplining  a team necessarily.

But Brad needs to get more out of his team and there are ways to do that.

bobheckler wrote:Perk played with KG.  Between the lines KG hated everybody who wasn't in green-and-white (this was back in the days before green-and-black and especially before those Fugly gray pajamas).  As KG's baseline defending co-anchor Perk took on KG's personality.  The whole league was different back then.  KG didn't want to come to Boston because Pierce was his friend, in fact he turned down a trade to Boston until Danny traded for Ray.  Then he agreed because the decision was business, not pleasure.  You didn't help players in other colors up and you didn't give them layups, not without a little extra somethin'somethin'.  

I love Perk for bleeding green, but he's out of touch with today's NBA.  I'm not saying that's bad, I'm a little out of touch with these "float like a butterfly and whine like a bee" players, but it is what it is and pining for the good old days doesn't bring them back.

And for what it's worth, and has been pointed out by another poster, everything Brad said was absolutely correct.  To think the players don't realize they're underdogs to a team that swept them every game this season is to assume they're delusional.  Lastly, what Brad says to the camera and the press probably is not what he says, and how he says it, in practice and in film sessions.  I suspect his film sessions are brutal.  He's not a yeller and screamer, he's analytical.  He won't bludgeon you, he'll slice you up.  Calmly, coolly, surgically.  He'll point out exactly, precisely what went wrong and where each player should have been in such detail you'll want to crawl under your seat if you're one of those players who was not executing like you should have.


Bob


.

Perk does bleed green but he is also one of the team’s harshest critics and cuts them no slack. There are times when I may not agree with him and he does add a little sauce every now and then but when you look big picture, Perk, in my opinion is being honest and fair. (With a little TV spice thrown on top).
I don’t think he is out of touch. He realizes that some players and coaches today are totally different from when he played. He knows it but just like KG, doesn’t like it and expresses that.
I got Brad’s point and sometimes you can lull your opponent to sleep with talk like that. I just wish he wouldn’t say publicly that its hard to see this team losing when you’re getting ready to play them in a series. Maybe a better choice of words would’ve sounded better.
P.S. I don’t think Perk is that impressed with Brad as a coach and those comments just added more fuel.

Brad got a lot out of his team defensively Saturday.
As for Jayson, Kemba, and Evan...???

worcester wrote:Brad got a lot out of his team defensively Saturday.
As for Jayson, Kemba, and Evan...???

I was very impressed with the D. Winnable game if the above mentioned had played better.