Famous NBA Gambler: Brad Stevens Is The League's Best In-Game Coach

Famous NBA gambler: Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens is the league's best in-game coach






FILE: Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Monday, March 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Print Email Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com

on March 30, 2015 at 11:05 PM, updated March 31, 2015 at 5:31 AM





A famous NBA gambler considers Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens the league's best in-game coach.

Haralabos "Bob" Voulgaris might watch -- and critically analyze -- as much basketball as anybody. In 2013, an ESPN profile labeled him "the world's top NBA gambler." He makes a living by watching a ton of basketball, parsing through a heap of data, and determining which bets to take. His claims are backed by evidence and highly respected in the NBA world.

And he believes Stevens -- not Gregg Popovich, Rick Carlisle, Erik Spoelstra, Mike Budenholzer, Steve Kerr or anyone else -- tops everyone with his game management skills.


Haralabos Voulgaris @haralabob
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Brad Stevens is the best in game coach in the NBA. Pop has a better system / culture gets the rest stuff etc. But Stevens is best in game
5:34 PM - 30 Mar 2015
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Haralabos Voulgaris @haralabob
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He’s an elite adjuster, manages his subs better and calls better plays. Its scary how good of a coach he is.
5:35 PM - 30 Mar 2015
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One person tweeted at Voulgaris that Budenholzer is better. He responded: "No shot, same deal as Pop, maybe more clever offensive system (prolly not) but Stevens way better at in game."

ESPN recently ranked Stevens in a tie for the NBA's ninth-best coach -- one spot behind Doc Rivers -- and he might actually be better than that. Last summer, the Celtics hired one heck of a coach.



bob
MY NOTE:  Whether he's #9 or #19 it's still pretty frippin' amazing for a coach who isn't even through his 2nd year of NBA coaching and has had his roster card on wheels the whole time...


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My how the tables have turned out here. Just a few months ago, people were telling me that Stevens wasnt the man for the job and was in over his head.

PATIENCE people....patience.

Hi,
Very strange: I thought that the best analizer/predicter in NBA is Charlatan John Hollinger.
On a serious note: can we chalk Brad Stevens as a successful draft choice by Danny Ainge?

AK

I really do not feel qualified to be able to rate Stevens against the other 29 NBA head coaches relating to whether he is "the best" in-game coach or not, but he and his staff have done a great job of improving the individual players that they do have.  Even the guys who came once the season started have improved.

Watching every game I can (miss a few here and there), but there is no question that each (well, maybe not James Young so much) of his players are better now than they were when he first got them.  

Not a much better complement can be given to a coach and his staff.

One gets one's jollies from a wide variety of sources.  For instance, isn't it interesting that some of the poor unfortunates who felt Brad would bomb as an NBA coach are now bleating that he's winning too much?

I hope people don't think it's serendipitous that the Celtics have had such great fourth quarter success—whether they're coming from way behind to contest the game or pulling away at the end as they did last night.  Brad's a juggler, and the air over his head is filled with all sorts of metaphorical balls: substitutions, adjustments, hunches, ATO plays, strategies, calming demeanor, knowledge of players' "hot buttons," metrics, etc.

After most of a season of experimentation, Brad possesses an uncanny "feel" for what a given combination of players will bring to the table.  He'll swap two players in an offense/defense move and then, in the same situation a minute later, he won't swap them.

Despite his renowned affinity for metrics, Brad may be one of the most sensitive coaches in the game.  He senses things that would elude many other coaches.  I like to think I'm pretty savvy about things like flow and rhythm—probably my favorite aspects of basketball.  But this guys puts me to shame and then does a little meringue on my head for good measure.  How many coaches would sit Gerald Wallace for a handful of games and then, all of a sudden, give Gerald quality minutes in the next game on a hunch that works out beautifully?

The Boston Celtics are lucky to have Bra Stevens.  And, in terms of how far he can take an even more talented and well-rounded team down the road, I believe we ain't seen nothin' yet.

Sam