Mannix: Credit Stevens with Celtic Drive

http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/mannix-credit-stevens-celtics-drive



Many may be wishing for the Celtics to lose a few more games to get a better shot at a top draft pick, but that doesn't seem to be in their makeup.

Coach Brad Stevens still has his squad playing with a purpose, even though earning a playoff spot has been little more than a dream for a long time now.

"I think you have to give Brad Stevens the lion’s share of the credit because he has this team playing hard, playing with energy, and playing with a purpose deep into March," says sportsillustrated.cnn.com's Chris Mannix. "This is not an easy thing to do when you’re losing game after game and your general manager and your front office are trading away assets left and right to put yourself in a better draft position. It can be demoralizing for a locker room."

Everyone knew this would be a rebuilding year for the Celtics. They shipped off franchise icons Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn. They let their veteran coach head to Hollywood. They brought in a promising (but unproven) coach from the college ranks. They were going to start the season without Rajon Rondo's services.

Gaining the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft seemed like a distinct possibility.

But the Celtics have disappointed those who expected some sort of epic tailspin.

The Celtics have seen some of their young stars undergo tremendous growth with additional playing time. As for that promising (but unproven) coach?

"Brad Stevens to me, in his first year, has already proven he’s a solid game manager, has already proven he’s a great communicator," says Mannix. "But being able to keep these guys focused and playing with energy, that might be his greatest accomplishment right now."

By many measurements, this season has been a success, and certainly better than many expected.

"If I had to grade this Celtics season, as strange as it sounds, I would probably give them an A-," says Mannix. "They have done exactly what they wanted to do."

The Celtics certainly seem to be setting themselves up for a bright future.




bob
MY NOTE:  So, they're not playing to tank (Thank God!), they're playing to win games (Thank God!) but they're not.  How does that rate an 'A'?  They're missing key pieces, obviously, but they're not a bad team on paper.  


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Bob,

First, I believe that some of the acclaim for Brad is due to the fact that people want so much for him to succeed.  Obviously, with an unbalanced roster that was formed sort of by default partially as an outgrowth of the Nets trade and has been missing a center all season long and a catalytic guard most of the season, an evaluation of Brad has to be somewhat nontraditional.

Perhaps his most impressive ability has been to keep these guys playing together without killing one another and/or Brad himself.  Wallace is the only one who really mouthed off, but at least he was doing so because he wanted to win.  I have been surprised at how well the newer guys and the veterans have coexisted.

Moreover, in the midst of all the experimentation and the host of ragtag lineups necessitated by injuries, this club has shown me enough glimmers that can be due largely to how Brad has them playing together.  For someone like Olynyk to make the strides he has is, of course, partly due to Kelly's efforts, but Brad has been careful to ensure that, while Kelly may have better nights than others, the one thing that Kelly has not done has been to get down on himself.

Brad very quickly found that Crawford was the best compromise for the lead PG position.  It wasn't perfect, but it kept the wheels from falling completely off while the team was struggling to gain some semblance of togetherness.  It's no coincidence that the guy starting at center (by default) has arguably been the most consistent player on the team throughout the season.

I was concerned that his demeanor needed more fire to motivate the team.  But his easy does it ways seem to have worked well among both the younger and older guys.  And I think he picked the perfect time to get tossed and confirm to these guys that he has their backs.  Simply dealing with the incessant idiocy of tankmeisters could have made him irritable, but he took it in stride, and it's no coincidence that the team seems to have taken it in stride too.

He predicted that he and Rondo could work well together; and, so far, that appears to be the case.

He keeps stressing the importance of working together, despite knowing that some (maybe many) of these guys may not be here next season.  And, although I believe some of the guys are having difficulty keeping their morale up, they're doing a serviceable job of trying to develop chemistry.

Would I like to have seen more wins?  Sure; but, considering what he has to work with, I think he's got the team positioned about as well as it could be as their season comes close to conclusion.

Sam

Striving to win is the proper focus. I don't believe anyone would be doing the game of basketball any justice by not cultivating that sort of mentality.

I'll give Brad a good grade for the year, a B. He has kept them playing together despite all of the outside banter and trade rumors floating in the stratosphere.

More wins will come once the deficiencies are rectified. Now, it's up to Ainge to work his magic and give Brad the pieces he needs. The Celtics will have opportunities to make some moves, but it's really hard to figure out who stays and who goes.



KJ