Brad Stevens is clueless

[Sketch5]

The rotations were fine last night. The cs have to experiment a bit to see who's going to be reliable off the bench since its all young guys and unknowns. I like giving the main core a bunch of rest in the first half if the bench can help keep it close. Then run the other teams starters into the ground in the 4th. Kumba was great that end stretch. And Brown kept the team in the game all night long with the help of Smarts D.

I hope DA can get some next scoring soon. This will help the starters alot.

[hwangjini_1]

The rotations were fine last night. The cs have to experiment a bit to see who's going to be reliable off the bench since its all young guys and unknowns. I like giving the main core a bunch of rest in the first half if the bench can help keep it close. Then run the other teams starters into the ground in the 4th. Kumba was great that end stretch. And Brown kept the team in the game all night long with the help of Smarts D.

I hope DA can get some next scoring soon. This will help the starters alot.

if and when Arsen settles down to nba life, i think he will help provide points off the bench. that will really help the celtics.

also, for now GW is content doing a dozen little things to help the team. he doesnt look to score, but i think in time (1 to 2 seasons) he might become a decent threat on offense.

[trickybilly]

I would like to state that I disagree with this perspective.

Thanksyou.

[ozgod]

Obviously we want them to be playing well all the time and win 82 games each by 20 points but the NBA season is a marathon not a sprint.  NFL is a sprint in that sense you can't drop any undroppable games. I'd rather know who our rotation is and have the team playing our best around March onwards than blow everyone away in the beginning and fall away at the business end.

Also there's a few rookies on the team, we don't know how quick they will adjust to the NBA. There's couple new pieces in Kemba and Kanter who need to be fit it, and we need to know who the centers we can rely on will be.

It's fashionable to write off Brad but at this stage we're all "data collecting" as he calls it. I would wait till at least December before we decide he's a Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.hound. 

[Surferdad]

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.

This is a case of putting up a new thread about 12 hours too soon.  Grant was key in getting the NYK game turned around in a small-ball lineup.  I love the bench this year and Brad is using them extensively.

[trickybilly]

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.

This is a case of putting up a new thread about 12 hours too soon.  Grant was key in getting the NYK game turned around in a small-ball lineup.  I love the bench this year and Brad is using them extensively.

Look I know Rodman/Barkley is a stupidly exaggerated comparison, but it does go to show that you can be succesfull with an undersized big.

(Spare me the Barkley was never successful, and Rodman had Lambeer/Longley)

[DooVoo]

For all the so called Celtics fans who don't like Stevens and want him fired, here is a reality check for you. He would get hired in about one second. Every major college that doesn't have a big time locked in coach would be all over him. Pretty much every team in the league would go for him outside of about 5. Everyone knows what a great coach he is.

The Celtics would hire some NBA retread. Then the same guys in this thread and the OP would start complaining about him and every little move he makes and then realize they were idiots and Stevens was one of the best coaches in the NBA. 

[ozgod]

For all the so called Celtics fans who don't like Stevens and want him fired, here is a reality check for you. He would get hired in about one second. Every major college that doesn't have a big time locked in coach would be all over him. Pretty much every team in the league would go for him outside of about 5. Everyone knows what a great coach he is.

The Celtics would hire some NBA retread. Then the same guys in this thread and the OP would start complaining about him and every little move he makes and then realize they were idiots and Stevens was one of the best coaches in the NBA.

I think some people last year were suggesting Stan Van Gundy, Tom Thibodeau or Tyronn Lue as coaches that would do a better job than Brad. Basically coaches that are more animated and engage in more sideline histrionics than Brad does. Basically yell at the players the way we yell at them from our couches when they **** up. It would make a more interesting viewing experience I suppose.

[BitterJim]

For all the so called Celtics fans who don't like Stevens and want him fired, here is a reality check for you. He would get hired in about one second. Every major college that doesn't have a big time locked in coach would be all over him. Pretty much every team in the league would go for him outside of about 5. Everyone knows what a great coach he is.

The Celtics would hire some NBA retread. Then the same guys in this thread and the OP would start complaining about him and every little move he makes and then realize they were idiots and Stevens was one of the best coaches in the NBA.

I think some people last year were suggesting Stan Van Gundy, Tom Thibodeau or Tyronn Lue as coaches that would do a better job than Brad. Basically coaches that are more animated and engage in more sideline histrionics than Brad does. Basically yell at the players the way we yell at them from our couches when they **** up. It would make a more interesting viewing experience I suppose.

Maybe the team should hire one of those guys just to yell at the players/refs in a non-coaching role. That would take care of ~75% of fan complaints

[Bobshot]

This is a pretty deep team, and everyone has to be fed. Though one wonders how far small ball can take them.
Ainge has given Stevens three more bigs this year, and I don't see much use of them on the court, though Kanter has been hurt. My preference would be more defense in the starting lineup--namely, Smart and Robert Williams--to counter the opponent's starters. Then offense like Hayward off the bench as the 5th man. Plus Kanter. The other Williams looks like he can play bigger. So you got 8 pretty good guys there. Robert looks like he's stepped up.

We'll see how this all pans out. I think they need more defense in the lineup early.

[W8ting2McHale]

I haven’t understood the calls for Brad’s head because he doesn’t yell or scream enough.

Yelling isn’t coaching. It’s just yelling. Some people just need the drama I guess? I’ve had a couple of girlfriends like that. You might get a make up call from a ref. Might, but that’s about it.

As a player I despised the coaches that got up in my face and screamed. They literally had nothing constructive to say. Coach me, or don’t, screaming doesn’t help anything. I know I messed up. The team knows, half the people in the stands know. How do we -WE- correct the mistake? That is what a coach that’s paying attention and values his players does.

Brad absolutely does that. He pays attention and he values his players. He’s letting them figure it out, offers constructive criticism when needed and pays attention to what is going on in the game and evaluating his next move. Screaming is playing checkers and Brad plays chess.  How many sideline shots have you seen where a coach is screaming and the player is not making eye contact? You might think they’re ashamed of letting the team down, but in reality they are tuning that coach out.

 Plenty of coaches have something constructive to say. To correct the play or boost the player’s confidence. The screamers do not. Plenty of drama, not much substance. I for one am glad Brad isn’t a screamer.

Feel free to Continue to question his use of timeouts though. 

[dannyboy35]

I haven’t understood the calls for Brad’s head because he doesn’t yell or scream enough.

Yelling isn’t coaching. It’s just yelling. Some people just need the drama I guess? I’ve had a couple of girlfriends like that. You might get a make up call from a ref. Might, but that’s about it.

As a player I despised the coaches that got up in my face and screamed. They literally had nothing constructive to say. Coach me, or don’t, screaming doesn’t help anything. I know I messed up. The team knows, half the people in the stands know. How do we -WE- correct the mistake? That is what a coach that’s paying attention and values his players does.

Brad absolutely does that. He pays attention and he values his players. He’s letting them figure it out, offers constructive criticism when needed and pays attention to what is going on in the game and evaluating his next move. Screaming is playing checkers and Brad plays chess.  How many sideline shots have you seen where a coach is screaming and the player is not making eye contact? You might think they’re ashamed of letting the team down, but in reality they are tuning that coach out.

 Plenty of coaches have something constructive to say. To correct the play or boost the player’s confidence. The screamers do not. Plenty of drama, not much substance. I for one am glad Brad isn’t a screamer.

Feel free to Continue to question his use of timeouts though.

  I don’t need Brad to be a yeller or screamer. I have t heard many people say that but I may have missed it. Just, man up and delegate roles and  for ME- not bench Jaylen or Hayward in favor of Smart. I think Tatum needs to be reigned in. I don’t have confidence in Brad to give that message or hold him to it if he does but I’m hoping the players can take it upon themselves I guess.

[Somebody]

I think he's been doing a darn good job this season so far. The roles seem to be defined within a pretty free offensive system, which is what I wanted, and he's actually playing Jaylen a lot! I was one of the first guys who called for his head last season, but he absolutely should not get the sack this year from what we've seen so far.

[ChillyWilly]

I'm giving Stevens a Mulligan because I strongly believe Kyrie was the issue for last season. I've enjoyed every season Brad's been coach minus last 2.

[Atzar]

For all the so called Celtics fans who don't like Stevens and want him fired, here is a reality check for you. He would get hired in about one second. Every major college that doesn't have a big time locked in coach would be all over him. Pretty much every team in the league would go for him outside of about 5. Everyone knows what a great coach he is.

The Celtics would hire some NBA retread. Then the same guys in this thread and the OP would start complaining about him and every little move he makes and then realize they were idiots and Stevens was one of the best coaches in the NBA.

I think some people last year were suggesting Stan Van Gundy, Tom Thibodeau or Tyronn Lue as coaches that would do a better job than Brad. Basically coaches that are more animated and engage in more sideline histrionics than Brad does. Basically yell at the players the way we yell at them from our couches when they **** up. It would make a more interesting viewing experience I suppose.

Last year I actually saw a real, live person suggest that we fire Stevens and hire Mark Jackson.