Kris Humphries Praises Brad Stevens

http://greenstreet.weei.com/sports/boston/basketball/celtics/2014/08/14/kris-humphries-praises-celtics-coach-brad-stevens/




KRIS HUMPHRIES PRAISES CELTICS COACH BRAD STEVENS
08.14.14 at 11:22 am ET
By Ben Rohrbach



After a disappointing 25-win campaign, few Celtics changed uniforms, but the only outgoing veteran to play all of last season in Boston gave coach Brad Stevenshigh marks, and that should sit well with the organization.

In a conference call introducing the new Wizards forward to the media in Washington, D.C., Kris Humphries lauded the first-year Celtics coach for helping him improve his game 10 years into his NBA career.

“€œI talked to Brad all the time, and it’€™s just one of those things where, ‘€˜Man, you got me a lot better,’”€ Humphries told reporters Wednesday. “Handling the ball, making plays, things like that. Shooting. I’€™m grateful for that. I’€™m grateful for the opportunity to keep playing in a lot of situations like the one I was in.”

Arriving early to training camp last summer, Humphries won over skeptics inside the Celtics organization and out by taking younger players under his wing, keeping quiet early in the season despite limited minutes and eventually earning a spot in the starting lineup through continued effort. Ultimately, his numbers per 36 minutes (15.1 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.6 bpg, 55.2 TS%, 18.2 PER) ranked among the best of his career.

His patience during a trying year was commendable, and while another former Celtic will receive much of the applause when the Wizards make their only trip to Boston this season on Dec. 7, a tip of the cap should be reserved for Humphries, too. The 29-year-old publicly remained open to returning to the Celtics this summer, but ultimately chose a chance to contend for an Eastern Conference crown with the Wizards, and who can blame him?

“€œWhen you’€™re on a team like [Washington], which I feel blessed to be in this situation, everything you do is important and you feel important,”€ Humphries added in the conference call. “Whatever you do on a winning team is magnified. You feel better doing stuff when you’€™re working towards something. It’€™s a little tougher when you’€™re playing the right way, making sacrifices, and your team doesn’€™t have a chance to make the playoffs.”

His sign-and-trade with the Wizards also gave the Celtics a $4.3 million trade exception, so a Humphries era that began in Boston with one inopportune photo wasn’t so bad after all. As for the Keith Bogans experience …




bob
MY NOTE:  Compare this to his "I'd rather be waterboarded than be up here" press conference last year.  Hump was and is a good soldier, and I respect him for that, but it sounds like he really, really enjoyed Stevens' style.  That can only be good for us.



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Caltics' last season MVP on and off the court.  A turnaround from what I expected (or should I say "feared?").  Good luck,Humph.

Sam

I was so skeptical of Humphries, especially after that press conference. There was such a sarcastic tone to his introductory speech that I was just wishing he could be traded right away. 

He won me over, to the point that I was disappointed that he signed with Washington. He was a vital part of the team last year and you could tell as time went on that he liked the guys he was playing with and helped the young ones as much as possible. 

I wish him good luck in Washington, who knows, next year or the one after he may be playing with KD! Wouldn't that be a kick.

Rosalie

I think it says a lot that a veteran would respect such a young, rookie coach. A lot of times, young coaches aren't given that kind of recognition.

Humphries is a class act, a true professional, and I wish him well.


KJ

I dont know about him being the MVP - but he certainly showed me a lot last year. He was professional, played hard, never backed down, and is a really good player who just happened to fall victim to some personal publicity which was unflattering - and a contract that was too big for him to ever live up to.

Seems like a great guy...I wish him well.