Brad Stevens is clueless

[IDreamCeltics]

This team cannot afford his experimentation with lineups and his constant substitutions. Nobody can get into a rhythm. I'm very surprised the players pulled off what they did last night, but i don't credit Stevens for any of that. He pulls players in and out every 2 to 3 minutes, which is absolutely absurd. I've been watching this sport for a long time and i don't recall any other coach doing this. His offense is stale and predictable and his love of small ball will cost this team. There is no reason why he should be playing Grant Williams at center, even though Grant played admirably. I have zero confidence in Stevens at this point. I am trying very hard to figure out what he actually does well as a coach but i'm coming up empty. Would much rather have just about any other coach at this point and i'm not even kidding. He's been the same exact coach for the past however many years. No improvements. None.

I think he does a good job figuring out what guys do well offensively.  I'm with you 100% on his lineup management though.  His teams consistently play their best when a couple of guys are hurt and he's forced to just play the same players big minutes.  His baseline egalitarian "everyone plays 24 minutes" approach can be maddening when he's coolering my fantasy players on a nightly basis.   

I really hope that we see bigger minutes for Timelord, JB, Tatum, G. Williams, and Edwards this season and he doesn't try to force-feed minutes to our injury-prone/veteran roleplayers. 

I'm not a big fan of Stevens, but this is a rather bizarre reason to be upset with him.  Why should Stevens care about what is best for your fantasy team?  He's trying to do what he thinks is best for the team that matters, the Celtics.

Or are you telling us you're more concerned about your fantasy team than the Celtics?

Oh ffs the guy just spent an entire season force-feeding a hobbled Gordon Hayward minutes.  Is that what was "best for the team?"  You think burying Jaylen Brown in a contract year was what was "best for the team?"  I think those decisions destroyed team chemistry and ultimately defined the season.

While likeable - Hayward just isn't as good as Jaylen Brown.

[KGs Knee]

This team cannot afford his experimentation with lineups and his constant substitutions. Nobody can get into a rhythm. I'm very surprised the players pulled off what they did last night, but i don't credit Stevens for any of that. He pulls players in and out every 2 to 3 minutes, which is absolutely absurd. I've been watching this sport for a long time and i don't recall any other coach doing this. His offense is stale and predictable and his love of small ball will cost this team. There is no reason why he should be playing Grant Williams at center, even though Grant played admirably. I have zero confidence in Stevens at this point. I am trying very hard to figure out what he actually does well as a coach but i'm coming up empty. Would much rather have just about any other coach at this point and i'm not even kidding. He's been the same exact coach for the past however many years. No improvements. None.

I think he does a good job figuring out what guys do well offensively.  I'm with you 100% on his lineup management though.  His teams consistently play their best when a couple of guys are hurt and he's forced to just play the same players big minutes.  His baseline egalitarian "everyone plays 24 minutes" approach can be maddening when he's coolering my fantasy players on a nightly basis.   

I really hope that we see bigger minutes for Timelord, JB, Tatum, G. Williams, and Edwards this season and he doesn't try to force-feed minutes to our injury-prone/veteran roleplayers. 

I'm not a big fan of Stevens, but this is a rather bizarre reason to be upset with him.  Why should Stevens care about what is best for your fantasy team?  He's trying to do what he thinks is best for the team that matters, the Celtics.

Or are you telling us you're more concerned about your fantasy team than the Celtics?

Oh ffs the guy just spent an entire season force-feeding a hobbled Gordon Hayward minutes.  Is that what was "best for the team?"  You think burying Jaylen Brown in a contract year was what was "best for the team?"  I think those decisions destroyed team chemistry and ultimately defined the season.

While likeable - Hayward just isn't as good as Jaylen Brown.

Well, that is a totally different argument than, "I don't like what this means for my fantasy team" (paraphrasing).

I don't disagree that Stevens botched last season.  He clearly needs to adapt to a top-heavy roster, as last season showed.  Hopefully, he has.

[liam]

Brad Stevens makes me scream at my TV every game but I think he's a better coach than I could ever be and I think there is a method to his madness most times.

[Fierce1]

Brad has always proven doubters wrong.

It was only last season that the Celts didn't live up to expectations.

[Fierce1]

Brad Stevens makes me scream at my TV every game but I think he's a better coach than I could ever be and I think there is a method to his madness most times.

True.

Before Ainge hired Brad, Brett Brown was available.

Reason why Ainge hired Brad was because Ainge wanted something different.

Brad Stevens is a basketball genius.

[Celtics4ever]

I have zero confidence in Stevens at this point. I am trying very hard to figure out what he actually does well as a coach but i'm coming up empty. Would much rather have just about any other coach at this point and i'm not even kidding. He's been the same exact coach for the past however many years. No improvements. None.

Yeah, he has overachieved most of the time, your right, save last year.   Same successful coach, winning more games than he should.   A lot of people think he is a very good coach and you don't take a mid-major to the NCAAs if you're a bad coach.   His players seem to like him.

I can get someone not liking him because he is kind of a Ned Flanders type.  Sometimes he does not seem to show emotion and it would be nice to see him light someone up for lack of effort.   But that will never ever be his style.

[LilRip]

I liked the rotation much better during the raps game than the sixers game.

Couple of things which people might not like:
1. Despite bigs being our weak position, we have too many. I think CBS needs to pick 3 bigs and just trust them with heavy minutes. Right now, that list is 1 player too long: Kanter, Theis, Williamsx2. I don’t know whose minutes should suffer but I think the team is worse off if all 4 get steady minutes.

2. Edwards is a fan fave but tbh, I think he should barely get any minutes outside of injuries. We have too many talented perimeter players (Kemba, Smart, Brown, Tatum, Hayward) and one steady role player (Wanamaker). The only time I think it makes sense to play Edwards in rotation minutes is if Kemba gets injured. Otherwise, Semi or even freakin Javonte Green probably makes more sense if one of our wings go down.

[The Oracle]

I liked the rotation much better during the raps game than the sixers game.

Couple of things which people might not like:
1. Despite bigs being our weak position, we have too many. I think CBS needs to pick 3 bigs and just trust them with heavy minutes. Right now, that list is 1 player too long: Kanter, Theis, Williamsx2. I don’t know whose minutes should suffer but I think the team is worse off if all 4 get steady minutes.

2. Edwards is a fan fave but tbh, I think he should barely get any minutes outside of injuries. We have too many talented perimeter players (Kemba, Smart, Brown, Tatum, Hayward) and one steady role player (Wanamaker). The only time I think it makes sense to play Edwards in rotation minutes is if Kemba gets injured. Otherwise, Semi or even freakin Javonte Green probably makes more sense if one of our wings go down.

All of the C's big men should be deployed situationally.  They all face match up problems that should dictate whether they play big minutes or none at all dependent on opponent.

[PhoSita]

Frankly, the vast majority of people in NBA media, front offices, players, and other coaches disagree with you.

I think that should tell you something.

It is clear that the leaguewide opinion of Brad was tarnished by how the team slowly fell apart last year. Even so, he's still rightly considered a very good coach that does a lot of things well and brings a good workmanlike attitude to the job.


The Celts could do far worse.

[GetLucky]

 

I have zero confidence in Stevens at this point. I am trying very hard to figure out what he actually does well as a coach but i'm coming up empty. Would much rather have just about any other coach at this point and i'm not even kidding. He's been the same exact coach for the past however many years. No improvements. None.

Yeah, he has overachieved most of the time, your right, save last year.   Same successful coach, winning more games than he should.   A lot of people think he is a very good coach and you don't take a mid-major to the NCAAs if you're a bad coach.   His players seem to like him.

I can get someone not liking him because he is kind of a Ned Flanders type.  Sometimes he does not seem to show emotion and it would be nice to see him light someone up for lack of effort.   But that will never ever be his style.

If you read some stories about Stevens, he absolutely will rip a player a new one, just not demonstratively or publicly. There are some amazing stories from Evan Turner about how much he feared that man.

[Rosco917]

The lions share of the minutes were predictable. Brown, Tatum, Walker, Hayward. Each played around 30 plus. After that, this team is looking for combinations that thrive playing together. We had 4 whole preseason games, in my opinion it's almost still semi-preseason. Give him at least 10 games, and by then things should settle a bit.

As to playing small ball...that's a different story. Honestly this team has few talented bigs to actually give big minutes too. You play with the hand you're dealt.

[RPGenerate]

The lions share of the minutes were predictable. Brown, Tatum, Walker, Hayward. Each played around 30 plus. After that, this team is looking for combinations that thrive playing together. We had 4 whole preseason games, in my opinion it's almost still semi-preseason. Give him at least 10 games, and by then things should settle a bit.

As to playing small ball...that's a different story. Honestly this team has few talented bigs to actually give big minutes too. You play with the hand you're dealt.

Ding ding ding, we have a winner!!! Too bad most people that regurgitate this "rggggg small ball bad" argument will simply close their ears yelling "lalalala Poirier is the solution lalalalala".

[pearljammer10]

Ya'll crazy if you think Brad isn't one of the games best coaches.

Period.

[Greyman]

I know this isn't a poll but Brad gets my vote. In his tenure at Boston 'overachieved' was the term used every season except last season. Last season the Bucks and Raptors were both much better than anybody thought and the Celtics weren't as good. Stevens has owned his part of that and the part Kyrie played in last season not working out is well documented. Having lost Horford and Baynes he is working out his centre position. His team just beat the reigning NBA champions. He has a few pieces to play with and an opportunity to add someone later if needed (I think the Celtics will do something when the opportunity is there).

I have faith in Stevens. Arm chair critics, not so much.

[GreenCoffeeBean]

Ya'll crazy if you think Brad isn't one of the games best coaches.

Period.

Seriously this. The NBA has like 5 good coaches and Brad is definitely one of them.