Brad Stevens Appreciation Thread

[GetLucky]

The Brad Stevens slander I've been seeing on this site recently has been a bit over the top. I'm not sure if it's recency bias, lack of specific basketball X's and O's knowledge, or just plain anger at the close losses, but there are a few critiques of Stevens that are absolutely ridiculous in various ways. I normally would attribute this to anger and short-term irrationality, but people have started to assert that these critiques are valid yearly patterns, which is patently false. So here is my brief defense of Brad Stevens as a top NBA coach.

"Lack of Adjustments"
Stevens is making tons of adjustments in the middle of games. Just because people can't understand them or players aren't properly executing does not mean he does not notice changes in defenses or what needs to be done to them. Toronto threw the kitchen sink at Boston (4-5 different defenses per game is absolutely ridiculous), and Boston had counters for all of their schemes. Sure, the players didn't recognize changing defenses sometimes, but that doesn't mean Brad was lost or overwhelmed.

Here is a video explaining a lot of the subtle actions the Celtics changed mid-game in the Toronto series:



Link if Embed doesn't work: https://youtu.be/JrwKa1IkUcs

It took a long time to neutralize Bam's pick and rolls, but those are honestly very basic actions that NBA players should be able to contain. The Celtics (very poorly) tried to force Dragic towards the baseline to flatten his passing angles, hoping they geometry would make pocket passes more difficult and neutralize the effect of leaving Bam open for a few more beats. This was necessary because Robinson was lighting us up. If I recall correctly, Stevens adjusted by putting Kemba on Robinson so the longer help defenders (Tatum and Jaylen) were able to sag off their assignments and help bump the roll man, and Bam hardly scored at all in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, this led to the dagger where Robinson floated to the top of the key and Kemba was too short to contest after losing track of Robinson for a half second, but it shows why the wing length usually reserved for protecting the paint was on Robinson in the first place. (Keep in mind, this was only after the smaller Smart failed to contain Robinson early on. That means Stevens, the "one who can't make adjustments" changed his defensive matchups 3 times to contain the hot hand. Each time, the desired player was neutralized [Robinson in the middle of the game, Bam in the 4th], but you also gave something up, showing that the adjustments aren't as simple as "good or bad.") 


"We've been a bad Q3 team the entire year/Brad is a bad third quarter coach"
This is about as false as can be. In fact, this entire season (including the playoffs), the Celtics were the 2nd-best third quarter team by point differential, at +2.3 points per game. Before the bubble, they were actually the best third quarter team by a healthy margin, at +3.2 points per game, with the second-best team being Toronto at +2.6. We ended the "regular season" (including the 8 bubble games) at +3.1 ppl in the third quarter, first in the league by .8ppg (Milwaukee was second at +2.3).

Source (cumulative):
https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/average-3rd-quarter-margin?date=2020-09-18

Source (pre-bubble stats): https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/average-3rd-quarter-margin?date=2020-08-01

Yes, we are 12th out of the 16 playoff teams in 3Q net rating in the playoffs, but that is a minuscule sample size of 13 games, which leads to a lot of statistical variance. No one was harping on this when we beat the Heat by 12 points in the third quarter of game 1. (This is not a good-faith argument, but it is about as statistically significant as referencing two and a half playoff series, one of which was a sweep.)

The Celtics were 16th last season (including postseason) in 3Q point differential, at +.2 and 4th in the NBA in 2017-18, at +1.5 (including postseason).

To conclude, I would like to argue that the poor performance of the Celtics has more to do with lack of depth and players underperforming than it does Brad. At the end of the day, we're down a starter and have a flawed roster (few bench players, bigs with various weaknesses). I'm seeing a profound lack of efforts & consistency on defense (struggling to contain pick and rolls, not chasing Dragic hard enough around screens, losing track of the Heat repositioning around the arc, small footwork problems hard hedging or icing ball handlers, etc) and some poor decision making (passing up open shots, missing open cutters) that I really don't think reflect poorly on Brad at all. I don't mean to come across as confrontational, but the slander this Top 3 (imo) coach is getting is a bit silly.

[Ogaju]

I do not appreciate Brad Stevens lack of presence on the sideline. He may be the best X and O guy in the league, I do not know. What I see though is a guy who does not lead nor seem to garner enough respect or reverence from his players. If they respected him they would not play so poorly. Those two hustle plays by Butler yesterday would not happen. Brown needs an earful for letting Butler steal that inbound pass in the fourth quarter. He is getting paid a lot of millions to play basketball. The coach is hired to hold him accountable. What was al that about.

I am sure those who know how to search will find a thread I started two years ago titled something like 'At what point should CBS start fealing the heat'. Well he is feeling the HEAT now, no pun intended.

[RPGenerate]

I do not appreciate Brad Stevens lack of presence on the sideline. He may be the best X and O guy in the league, I do not know. What I see though is a guy who does not lead nor seem to garner enough respect or reverence from his players. If they respected him they would not play so poorly. Those two hustle plays by Butler yesterday would not happen. Brown needs an earful for letting Butler steal that inbound pass in the fourth quarter. He is getting paid a lot of millions to play basketball. The coach is hired to hold him accountable. What was al that about.

I am sure those who know how to search will find a thread I started two years ago titled something like 'At what point should CBS start fealing the heat'. Well he is feeling the HEAT now, no pun intended.

So what you're saying is, no team would ever play poorly if they had a coach that held them accountable? Sure lol.

[Ogaju]

I do not appreciate Brad Stevens lack of presence on the sideline. He may be the best X and O guy in the league, I do not know. What I see though is a guy who does not lead nor seem to garner enough respect or reverence from his players. If they respected him they would not play so poorly. Those two hustle plays by Butler yesterday would not happen. Brown needs an earful for letting Butler steal that inbound pass in the fourth quarter. He is getting paid a lot of millions to play basketball. The coach is hired to hold him accountable. What was al that about.

I am sure those who know how to search will find a thread I started two years ago titled something like 'At what point should CBS start fealing the heat'. Well he is feeling the HEAT now, no pun intended.

So what you're saying is, no team would ever play poorly if they had a coach that held them accountable? Sure lol.

No, what I am saying is what I said. No need for you to rephrase.

[RPGenerate]

I do not appreciate Brad Stevens lack of presence on the sideline. He may be the best X and O guy in the league, I do not know. What I see though is a guy who does not lead nor seem to garner enough respect or reverence from his players. If they respected him they would not play so poorly. Those two hustle plays by Butler yesterday would not happen. Brown needs an earful for letting Butler steal that inbound pass in the fourth quarter. He is getting paid a lot of millions to play basketball. The coach is hired to hold him accountable. What was al that about.

I am sure those who know how to search will find a thread I started two years ago titled something like 'At what point should CBS start fealing the heat'. Well he is feeling the HEAT now, no pun intended.

So what you're saying is, no team would ever play poorly if they had a coach that held them accountable? Sure lol.

No, what I am saying is what I said. No need for you to rephrase.

That literally what you said. Don't get mad at me because you can't articulate yourself correctly.

[Ogaju]

I do not appreciate Brad Stevens lack of presence on the sideline. He may be the best X and O guy in the league, I do not know. What I see though is a guy who does not lead nor seem to garner enough respect or reverence from his players. If they respected him they would not play so poorly. Those two hustle plays by Butler yesterday would not happen. Brown needs an earful for letting Butler steal that inbound pass in the fourth quarter. He is getting paid a lot of millions to play basketball. The coach is hired to hold him accountable. What was al that about.

I am sure those who know how to search will find a thread I started two years ago titled something like 'At what point should CBS start fealing the heat'. Well he is feeling the HEAT now, no pun intended.

So what you're saying is, no team would ever play poorly if they had a coach that held them accountable? Sure lol.

No, what I am saying is what I said. No need for you to rephrase.

That literally what you said. Don't get mad at me because you can't articulate yourself correctly.

Why would I be mad, I come here for entertainment. If I am not entertained I go elsewhere. The fact that you think this board would make me mad is actually entertaining. Oh, I stand by the bolded part which of course you did rephrase. Carry on.

[mobilija]

I do not appreciate Brad Stevens lack of presence on the sideline. He may be the best X and O guy in the league, I do not know. What I see though is a guy who does not lead nor seem to garner enough respect or reverence from his players. If they respected him they would not play so poorly. Those two hustle plays by Butler yesterday would not happen. Brown needs an earful for letting Butler steal that inbound pass in the fourth quarter. He is getting paid a lot of millions to play basketball. The coach is hired to hold him accountable. What was al that about.

I am sure those who know how to search will find a thread I started two years ago titled something like 'At what point should CBS start fealing the heat'. Well he is feeling the HEAT now, no pun intended.

I think it’s really hard to judge What he is doing on the sideline from a television set. We get so few looks directly at him because he’s not overly demonstrative (and therefore not “good tv”). The action is focused on the players, as it should be. Since reading complaints from posters about his lack of sideline emotion, I’ve made a bit more effort to try and notice what he’s doing. I think he urges his team on with an arm swing to encourage momentum often. He does quietly, and sometimes angrily, talk to the refs. He’s not completely stoic out there. Would his players respond with more effort if he was more fiery? Maybe...but maybe some wouldn’t. Depends on the player. But if a player need the coach to get fired up...and the millions of dollars, thousands of endearing fans and the shear joy of playing competitive basketball at the highest level for isn’t enuff to motivate that player...them that’s on the player, that’s a player problem. “Stevens lacks prescience” is a meh complaint to me. Certainly not a fireable offense. Besides, you want a red faced whiner like Nurse on the sideline for your team? I doubt it. That wears pretty thin pretty quick. Just look at some of the Game threads from the Toronto series, many here don’t seem to want that type of guy on the sideline. It’s a Complaint but it’s not loosing us this series.

Oh btw....when you capitalize HEAT to emphasize ur funny statement. The pun is intended.

[mobilija]

And good post GetLucky. Lots of effort and well thought out. Thanks, TP.

[Ogaju]

I do not appreciate Brad Stevens lack of presence on the sideline. He may be the best X and O guy in the league, I do not know. What I see though is a guy who does not lead nor seem to garner enough respect or reverence from his players. If they respected him they would not play so poorly. Those two hustle plays by Butler yesterday would not happen. Brown needs an earful for letting Butler steal that inbound pass in the fourth quarter. He is getting paid a lot of millions to play basketball. The coach is hired to hold him accountable. What was al that about.

I am sure those who know how to search will find a thread I started two years ago titled something like 'At what point should CBS start fealing the heat'. Well he is feeling the HEAT now, no pun intended.

I think it’s really hard to judge What he is doing on the sideline from a television set. We get so few looks directly at him because he’s not overly demonstrative (and therefore not “good tv”). The action is focused on the players, as it should be. Since reading complaints from posters about his lack of sideline emotion, I’ve made a bit more effort to try and notice what he’s doing. I think he urges his team on with an arm swing to encourage momentum often. He does quietly, and sometimes angrily, talk to the refs. He’s not completely stoic out there. Would his players respond with more effort if he was more fiery? Maybe...but maybe some wouldn’t. Depends on the player. But if a player need the coach to get fired up...and the millions of dollars, thousands of endearing fans and the shear joy of playing competitive basketball at the highest level for isn’t enuff to motivate that player...them that’s on the player, that’s a player problem. “Stevens lacks prescience” is a meh complaint to me. Certainly not a fireable offense. Besides, you want a red faced whiner like Nurse on the sideline for your team? I doubt it. That wears pretty thin pretty quick. Just look at some of the Game threads from the Toronto series, many here don’t seem to want that type of guy on the sideline. It’s a Complaint but it’s not loosing us this series.

Oh btw....when you capitalize HEAT to emphasize ur funny statement. The pun is intended.

of course the pun was intended, saying it wasnt is an apophasis, a valid rhetorical device.

[mobilija]

I do not appreciate Brad Stevens lack of presence on the sideline. He may be the best X and O guy in the league, I do not know. What I see though is a guy who does not lead nor seem to garner enough respect or reverence from his players. If they respected him they would not play so poorly. Those two hustle plays by Butler yesterday would not happen. Brown needs an earful for letting Butler steal that inbound pass in the fourth quarter. He is getting paid a lot of millions to play basketball. The coach is hired to hold him accountable. What was al that about.

I am sure those who know how to search will find a thread I started two years ago titled something like 'At what point should CBS start fealing the heat'. Well he is feeling the HEAT now, no pun intended.

I think it’s really hard to judge What he is doing on the sideline from a television set. We get so few looks directly at him because he’s not overly demonstrative (and therefore not “good tv”). The action is focused on the players, as it should be. Since reading complaints from posters about his lack of sideline emotion, I’ve made a bit more effort to try and notice what he’s doing. I think he urges his team on with an arm swing to encourage momentum often. He does quietly, and sometimes angrily, talk to the refs. He’s not completely stoic out there. Would his players respond with more effort if he was more fiery? Maybe...but maybe some wouldn’t. Depends on the player. But if a player need the coach to get fired up...and the millions of dollars, thousands of endearing fans and the shear joy of playing competitive basketball at the highest level for isn’t enuff to motivate that player...them that’s on the player, that’s a player problem. “Stevens lacks prescience” is a meh complaint to me. Certainly not a fireable offense. Besides, you want a red faced whiner like Nurse on the sideline for your team? I doubt it. That wears pretty thin pretty quick. Just look at some of the Game threads from the Toronto series, many here don’t seem to want that type of guy on the sideline. It’s a Complaint but it’s not loosing us this series.

Oh btw....when you capitalize HEAT to emphasize ur funny statement. The pun is intended.

of course the pun was intended, saying it wasnt is an apophasis, a valid rhetorical device.

Oh...an apophasis... of course...my bad

[tstorey_97]

When looking at Stevens from his first day to now and the team roster in the same period, I don't think the team is there yet. I don't think management thinks that way either. I will add that management knows where the team is at than anyone here....the Celtics are a billion dollar company after all.

Ainge has done what the NBA permits as far as trades along with ok drafting and here we are.

Tatum-Brown-Smart and veterans Walker/Hayward backed up by absolutely n-o-t-h-i-n-g

The Celtics are the 5th or 6th best team in the NBA. I don't know if I see the Celtics beating the Rockets in a 7 game series.

The Celtics are in no way "complete" nor are they being represented as such.

They don't have a power forward do they? How about a Center? Any shooters off the bench? Walker, I suppose is the veteran presence and he got here a little while ago.

Here's a title team...

Garnett - 15X all star - emotional leader power forward (HOF)- this man played for 12 years and won nothing.

Pierce - 10X all star - played and lost for an equivalent number of years. (HOF)

Allen- 10X all star (HOF) whether you like him or not, without him...no title.

Perkins - Rondo - Tony Allen - House - Posey...etc

Just where in God's name do you see that on the court for Boston now?

That team was a top 1 or 2 consensus in the league. What does the lack of a complete roster have to do with the coach is beyond me.

If you want Bobby Knight? Convince Ainge to hire him. Ainge will say no as he learned from Auerbach how to win NBA titles.

I know a Celtic's coach who won two NBA titles. He never threw a chair because he didn't need to. KC Jones and Auerbach, like Stevens didn't play the emotional swing.

The players have to be emotional.

Brown has the highest percentage of threes from the corner on the team. They got it to him for the shot. Paul Pierce missed game winners too.

The Celtics are the 5th or 6th best team in the NBA....they have very little front court presence and it is finals time.

[nickagneta]

I have sat close to court side over behind the Celtics bench a couple times over the last few years and can say, if you think Stevens doesn't work the refs, if you think he doesn't let them know when they made a mistake, if you think his players don't know when he is p!seed beyond belief, then you are dead wrong.

Just because he doesn't do it in a wildly emotional and demonstrative manner, doesn't mean he doesn't get his point across. Did you catch Stevens reaction on the interview between the 3rd and 4th? The man was livid. If you think his huddle between quarters was all rosy positive platitudes, you just aren't getting it. Those players were told in no uncertain terms that they screwed up and he was beyond angry

My amazing Sicilian grandma was 4'10". She never raised her voice in her whole life. But if you made her mad, you knew it and could see it in her tone and manner. No one ever messed or crossed her or wanted to make her mad after you made her mad once.

Stevens reminds me of her. Always positive. Always happy. Always teaching. But someone you didn't want to see get mad.

Demonstrative and loud doesn't equal competent. And you can be sure players don't exactly appreciate coaches that act like their high school and in some cases college coaches that have to scream and be abusive to get their points across. They are professionals that want to be treated as such. Stevens definitely does that.

[Scottiej23]

Just because he doesn't do it in a wildly emotional and demonstrative manner, doesn't mean he doesn't get his point across.

Demonstrative and loud doesn't equal competent. And you can be sure players don't exactly appreciate coaches that act like their high school and in some cases college coaches that have to scream and be abusive to get their points across. They are professionals that want to be treated as such. Stevens definitely does that.

All of this ^.

People who continually lambaste Stevens for not ranting and raving all the time is simply them projecting their own inability to deal with frustration.....barely anything more.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

The Celtics are in no way "complete" nor are they being represented as such.

They don't have a power forward do they? How about a Center? Any shooters off the bench?

I think this might be part of the issue: When is Danny going to "complete" this roster?

This is the third time in four seasons that the Cs have made the Eastern Conference finals, so the team seems to be in prime position to add the last few pieces to the puzzle. When is Danny going to do that? Why has he still not invested in a legit, full-time center (as opposed to the current bevy of "situational" centers on the roster)? Why no legit power forward? Why has he not found a veteran sharpshooter? Etc.

Danny's had a LOT of draft picks in recent years, and stands to get several more this offseason. He can keep only so many of them, because there's just not enough room on the roster. And he can't really try to develop that many players anyway, because a) it takes too long, and b) he's probably not going to be able to draft all the pieces he needs; he'll also need to make trades and/or free-agent signings—to get certain players from other teams, AND to consolidate (get rid of some of the draft picks/young draftees).

So, for me at least, I'm eager to see the rest of the pieces put into place, and am wondering how long Danny's going to take to do that.

[mobilija]

I have sat close to court side over behind the Celtics bench a couple times over the last few years and can say, if you think Stevens doesn't work the refs, if you think he doesn't let them know when they made a mistake, if you think his players don't know when he is p!seed beyond belief, then you are dead wrong.

Just because he doesn't do it in a wildly emotional and demonstrative manner, doesn't mean he doesn't get his point across. Did you catch Stevens reaction on the interview between the 3rd and 4th? The man was livid. If you think his huddle between quarters was all rosy positive platitudes, you just aren't getting it. Those players were told in no uncertain terms that they screwed up and he was beyond angry

My amazing Sicilian grandma was 4'10". She never raised her voice in her whole life. But if you made her mad, you knew it and could see it in her tone and manner. No one ever messed or crossed her or wanted to make her mad after you made her mad once.

Stevens reminds me of her. Always positive. Always happy. Always teaching. But someone you didn't want to see get mad.

Demonstrative and loud doesn't equal competent. And you can be sure players don't exactly appreciate coaches that act like their high school and in some cases college coaches that have to scream and be abusive to get their points across. They are professionals that want to be treated as such. Stevens definitely does that.

Once again, I don’t know why I bother posting....

Thanks for saying what I attempted to say in a more clear way. TP