The Problems with Brad Stevens

[LooseCannon]

And to "loosecanon" and "d.o.s." I will only state that when Rondo was out last year Phil Pressey provided valuable minutes to help fill in gaps while our other guards, (an admittedly thin area last year), rested.

There were probably a dozen guards in the D-League who could have provided better production while being a warm body for the same number of minutes.  That may be a conservative estimate.

[Jonny CC]

Stevens will be gone within 1-2 years as Danny Ainge is
going to need a scapegoat - a sacrificial wicker man to burn
because the plain truth as I see it is Danny doesn't have a clue
what he is doing.

You didn't like the trade for Isaiah Thomas?  Or the fleecing of the Nets??  Or the collection of a boatload of draft picks???  Or the Championship in 2008?
Yeah...Danny doesn't have a clue.   

[Jonny CC]

Phil Pressey is no longer even a consideration despite providing useful, if not stellar minutes, in the past, particularly last season.

This complaint alone illustrates OP probably doesn't know what he is talking about.

That post added a lot to the conversation.  The OP submitted a 800,000 word essay to express his opinion and the best you can do is to fiing an insult because there was 1 line that you disagreed with??   

A complete response would be significantly more caustic.

I have to give you credit for that one.  At least you were honest. 

[mmmmm]

Stevens has had over 30 players the last year and a half to work into a system. So rotations will be all over the place. He's better this year than last year, thats for sure, and isn't that what we are looking for? Not just with players, but coaches as well?

I've like what he's done with Smart,AB and Young. Were Smart goes out first and then comes back in with Young to play a stint.

We also have a crap roster. We don't have a good SF on the team and have to play TE in the spot. Young is too small right now for that spot full time. And now the rotations are messed up with KO and Sully out.

He has guys playing hard and well on the most part every night. Very rarely have they been blown out in games the last couple years. Thats impressive giving what he's been working with for a roster. So maybe his rotations aren't that bad if they are staying competitive in just about every game. And I'm sure he will get better, just like he did from last year to this year and fix some of these rotation issues.

Well, maybe.

We have exactly one more win (20) than we had at this same point in the schedule last year (19).

I'm keeping my personal jury out for a while.

[mmmmm]

Stevens has gotten all his players to give maximum effort and overachieve

This is all you need to know how good a coach is.

How do we know that is true?

[kozlodoev]

I'm going to cut the guy some slack. Every other week guys are getting hurt, traded or signed. The fact they've won as many games as they have is a testament that Stephens is getting the most out of the lack of talent that he has to work with. I'd guess the line up will be a little more stable come next year.

He's had Bradley, Olynyk, Sullinger and Bass for more than a season and a half, Smart, Zeller and Turner for more than half a season. He still appears to have no idea what to do with them... except play each of them between 20 and 28 minutes a night. The fact that they have won as many games as they did is only a testament to how horrible the East is this season.

[kozlodoev]

Stevens has gotten all his players to give maximum effort and overachieve

This is all you need to know how good a coach is.

How do we know that is true?

It isn't. He didn't get anything resembling maximum effort from Rondo. Multiple other players have looked like they are not fully invested in what's going on, headlined by Sullinger.

In fact, there isn't one player on the roster that appears to be materially "overachieving" relative to their career production.

[tstorey_97]

Any coach with Stevens' record has to take sh&% for it. I lean towards the "Ainge/Stevens plan" here. What we see on the court, I feel, is the execution of the plan, thus, "tons of threes" "endless rotation switches" and the like are just part of what management wants.

"Put Prince in the game I wanna trade him." I think this might actually happen...sort of.

As far as fouls and refs, Auerbach knew how to work a game, but brother, he's not alive any more
"Hey you! POS ref you callin' Bob Cousy for a reach in? He's got four rings you POS!"

So we have Brad who has absolutely nothing playing for him...nothing.
"Hey you! POS ref callin' Phil Pressey for a reach in? His dad was a pretty good player you POS!"
Lacking leverage in the star power dept.

Referees call fouls on rookies, sophomores and guys they've never heard of....that would be the Celtic's roster.

Thomas, the Celtics' one "star" player gets ejected for bouncing the ball hard after a Laker kneed him on the side of the head. God, I wish Tommy had been court side last night.

This ref stuff really isn't Brad Stevens' problem. It is the basis of his overall problem being that he doesn't have any players.

In his defense and echoing other posters here? These guys play their a$$es off for him. If we're going to su&* at least we fight to the end.
 

[Interceptor]

Well, maybe.

We have exactly one more win (20) than we had at this same point in the schedule last year (19).

I'm keeping my personal jury out for a while.

Meh. We're scoring better this year, and losing close games. Celtics have a better point differential than three EC teams with superior W/L records. Could easily be 24/29 or something right now.

[Jonny CC]

Stevens has gotten all his players to give maximum effort and overachieve

This is all you need to know how good a coach is.

How do we know that is true?

It isn't. He didn't get anything resembling maximum effort from Rondo. Multiple other players have looked like they are not fully invested in what's going on, headlined by Sullinger.

In fact, there isn't one player on the roster that appears to be materially "overachieving" relative to their career production.

Is Dallas getting maximum effort from Rondo?  That's a bad example to use.  He's toast. 

Do you really think that any coach could get a lot of the collection of shouldn't-be-starters you mentioned?!?  I think Stevens has done pretty well considering the talent level.  One could argue that Zeller, Bass, and Green all played better than expected (overachieved).   

[BornReady]

Stevens rotations are somewhat inconsistent
Due to injuries, trades and not having the talent where u can say this guy definitely starts over this guy

I would like young to get more mins but also Stevens is not giving up spots just so a rookie gets to play
They have to earn their spot
So far young has not earned it, maybe due to his defence deficiencies

[wayupnorth]

Stevens will be gone within 1-2 years as Danny Ainge is
going to need a scapegoat - a sacrificial wicker man to burn
because the plain truth as I see it is Danny doesn't have a clue
what he is doing.

What a joke.

Man, the I have been perusing these boards since sometime in 06, and I feel like there are more ridiculous posters here than ever.

What a shame.

[MBunge]

I'm going to cut the guy some slack. Every other week guys are getting hurt, traded or signed. The fact they've won as many games as they have is a testament that Stephens is getting the most out of the lack of talent that he has to work with. I'd guess the line up will be a little more stable come next year.

He's had Bradley, Olynyk, Sullinger and Bass for more than a season and a half, Smart, Zeller and Turner for more than half a season. He still appears to have no idea what to do with them... except play each of them between 20 and 28 minutes a night. The fact that they have won as many games as they did is only a testament to how horrible the East is this season.

Yet, he weirdly played essentially a 7 man rotation against the Lakers and had two guys play 40 minutes while Shav and Pressey were DNP-CDs.

I'm not at all sold on Stevens but it is fair to say that he's gotten good effort from the team and there have definitely been flashes and stretches of positive development.  And it's fair to say he's had a constantly revolving roster and had to deal with his best player (Rondo) not giving a [dang].

On the other hand, his rotations and in-game decisions, while somewhat improved, are still very questionable.  It started out as just inexperience but it's becoming more and more clear that the losses are getting to him.

If nothing else, Stevens is settling the whole question of college coaches making it in the pros.  If somebody as smart as Stevens is still struggling with the NBA game after two off-seasons, two training camps, two pre-seasons and 130+ regular season games, nobody should jump from college to head coach in the NBA ever again.

Mike

[PickNRoll]

Stevens is doing a great job.  Proud to have him as a coach and a representative of the organization.  That's all I can really add.

[Celtics4ever]

He's had Bradley, Olynyk, Sullinger and Bass for more than a season and a half, Smart, Zeller and Turner for more than half a season. He still appears to have no idea what to do with them... except play each of them between 20 and 28 minutes a night. The fact that they have won as many games as they did is only a testament to how horrible the East is this season

There are some positives.    I think the guy has our team playing hard even with it being a bad losing season.   The Knicks are not playing hard anymore ditto for some other teams.

He had got the best out of a lot of our parts.  Zeller and Turner are having good years whereas in the past they had not recently.   Zeller was mired in the bench in CLE and Turner flamed out in INDY.  Both have bounced back nicely under CBS.

Some of his substitutions do mystify me from time to time.  I think he is very bright and still learning the pro game.   I am eager to see what he does with more talent.  I hope he doesn't bury the rooks like he did this year for a period at the beginning.   Our picks need to be played and develop.