I believe those familiar with me here know that I have always been a huge fan of Danny Ainge. Overall, I thought he did a great job as the Celtics GM during his time. When he left and joined the Jazz, I had serious concerns about the future of the franchise. Particularly, after the Celtics hired Brad Stevens as his replacement. To be honest, I felt the ownership was being frugal. I didn't think the ownership group would pay him without receiving anything in return, so they decided to move him into the GM role. That seemed to be the plan.
However, I must admit that I was proven wrong. Brad Stevens knows what he's doing, or he has competent people, like Mike Zarren, supporting him. I wasn't a fan of the Derek White trade and thought giving up the 2028 first-round pick swap (#1 protected) was a major mistake. Perhaps Danny Ainge conditioned me to value draft picks more than necessary. Maybe Brad Stevens doesn't prioritize them as much? Either way, I now have a better perspective on how to assess first-round draft picks. That's the fundamental difference between their approaches: Danny Ainge valued first-round picks more, while Brad Stevens seems to have a different stance. He may have swung too far in declaring his indifference toward first-round picks compared to Ainge.
Now, let me come to my main point: Brad Stevens has done an outstanding job. He has shown great courage when it mattered, particularly in the Marcus Smart trade. Additionally, as mentioned by another commenter, Radiohead (TP), I believe he will offer Jaylen Brown a contract less than the max but still more than any other team can offer him. If Brown becomes discontented, Stevens will likely trade him for a valuable return.
In conclusion, I am a strong supporter of Brad Stevens, and I believe the organization is heading in the right direction. I have confidence that with Stevens leading the way, we will win a championship in the near future.
