Within the last few seasons, the Boston Celtics always seems to play well early just to come up short in the playoffs.
Some blame the C’s bench for not producing, while others point fingers at the starting lineup for poor play.
But the criticism has shifted toward Celtics’ head coach, Brad Stevens.
Some hold the opinion Boston should find another coach, while others think he may be overrated. At times, he provides his fair share of calls that cause fans to shake their heads. His most notable miscues are putting a player on the court over a more favorable option or failing to recognize the best defensive options.
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Something is telling me the Celtics won't win a championship with Brad Stevens. His late starts, bad timeouts, weird lineups, and lack of adjustments lately really hurt this team more than the good he does. He can still be a good coach, but his message might be lost on this team
— Jay (@Jay_OnHere) January 16, 2020
Despite that, the Celtics should not look for someone else to lead the charge. He may not be perfect, but Brad is among the best the league has to offer. Like every coach, he can work on some aspects of his game but he is the best fit for Boston. Let’s take a look at what separates Stevens from the rest while highlighting means of improvement.
MANAGING PERSONNEL
Leading a roster of NBA players may be difficult every season, but this year may be Brad’s biggest challenge yet. With many key players missing time at some point this year due to injury, Brad looked to his bench to step up. His rotation guys have not been playing the best, aside from a couple who have contributed well. Once he develops consistency with his core back together, his job should become easier.
Recently, Boston’s production mainly comes from only a handful of players on the roster. This season’s scoring mainly comes from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on a consistent basis. The guard duo of Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker are more than capable of putting up 20 points on a nightly basis, too.
But they both provide their fair share of bad games. Aside from this quartet, there is not another guy on the roster that is dependable every game.
A fifth scoring option may not be necessary, but there are games where Walker and Smart both play poorly. In these cases, Brad can look to Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith for a spark off the bench. Nesmith can boost the C’s if he plays well, but that has rarely been seen this season.
Stevens does a good job directing his crew and ensures he puts the best five guys on the court. For what it’s worth, Brad has patched the bleeding with the group he’s had.
SHORTCOMINGS WITH BIGS
With some players not reaching expectations, opportunities should be available for all– specifically in the frontcourt. Tristan Thompson has been better as of late. After a slow start to the season, Daniel Theis bounced back in January but is otherwise trending downward. He averaged 10.9 points per game while shooting 67.9% from the field. Additionally, he shot 52.4% from beyond the arc and grabbed 5.4 rebounds a game in January. In February, however, all of his numbers declined.
On the other hand, a member of the team that continues to shine is Robert Williams III. Although his stats may not jump off the page, Timelord continues to fill his role as a defensive-oriented big. He sees the floor to rebound and defend but flashes a scoring touch around the rim when given the opportunity.
His defensive prowess is ideal for the C’s, who have had recent struggles on that end. When Timelord comes into the game, he understands his purpose and does not prioritize scoring. He is ranked eighth in the league in PER (Player Efficiency Rating). Stevens should reward this high-octane play with more minutes.
Brad Stevens said before today's game that we need Rob Williams to be able to ramp up his minutes as the season goes on. Then Williams went out and showed exactly why that's the case. https://t.co/ZoT1iGlviA
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 22, 2021
RECOGNIZING LATE-GAME MATCHUPS
After 39 games this season, the C’s have relied heavily on their scoring. Any team with Tatum and Brown should not be .500 and the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. History shows a potent offense can only take a team so far.
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The Celtics’ team defense is not necessarily bad, but it can be better. One way to remedy their issue is to make the right substitutions. There have been decisive moments this season that have cost Boston a win.
Against the New Orleans Pelicans, Stevens put Thompson on Zion Williamson with time winding down. Zion bullied TT down low and got the and-1 to put his team ahead. After the three-point play, Tatum went down and scored to force the game into overtime. Boston went on to lose 120-115 after being up by as much as 24 points. In that scenario, Brad needed to recognize the play was for Zion and make a defensive adjustment.
ZION. AND-1. @PelicansNBA 108@celtics 106
He's got 13 in the 4th.. 6.9 left on ABC. pic.twitter.com/1iM2ZXwUrm
— NBA (@NBA) February 21, 2021
CREATING MISMATCHES
Similarly, he makes questionable changes in an effort to shut down the other team. In their loss to the Atlanta Hawks on February 17th, he put Jeff Teague into the game late over Pritchard. Fans were unhappy with the decision, especially since Pritchard has outperformed Teague this year.
Additionally, Teague had to guard Trae Young. Pritchard would have been a better matchup defensively for Young, who erupted for 40 points on 14-20 shooting in the win. In this situation, Stevens should have trusted Pritchard to go in and get the job done.
Brad Stevens’ coaching style is congruent with the construction of the Celtics’ roster. He does a great job of managing egos while being a solid leader in tough times.
But he struggles to identify discrepancies between his players and the opponent. Their recent mismatches exemplify that he can improve defensive matchups. Likewise, he needs to give other players a chance when his usual competitors are struggling.
Celtics fans might be boiling, but the subpar play will not last all year and the doubters will be silenced when Boston gets hot.
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