Boston Celtics: Brad Stevens Should Get COY Consideration
Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens should get NBA Coach of the Year consideration this season
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Throughout most of his coaching career, college and professional, Brad Stevens has been up against the odds. In college, as the head coach of Butler, Stevens was never considered the best. In fact, it wasn’t until his last few seasons that he finally received his praise.
Even then, it took trips to the NCAA Final Four in order to receive said recognition.
But still, he was never talked about in the same breath as Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, UNC’s Roy Williams, Kentucky’s John Calipari or any other of the top coaches in college basketball. Then again, why should he? Stevens was the new(ish) kid on the coaching block, winning with a team that had no national pull.
It was Butler — and Stevens was making a name for himself.
Stevens’ career at Butler
- 166-49 record (six years)
- Five NCAA Tournament Appearances
- Two Final Four Appearances
- One NCAA Championship Appearance
- Four-time Regular Season Horizon Conference Title Winner
Then, in 2013 Stevens was offered the head coaching job of the Boston Celtics. It was a spotlight team willing to give a “non-spotlight” up-and-coming head coach the opportunity of a lifetime — or so it seemed.
He took the job.
Boston Strong
Turns out, the Celtics couldn’t have made a better hire. Stevens, who has led a rebuilding Boston team to a 42-87 through his first year and a half in the NBA, and the Celtics are in it for the long haul together. And we’re finally beginning to see some results in just his second season on the job.
Despite trading away the former face of the franchise (Rajon Rondo) a couple of months ago, the Boston Celtics — through the direction of Stevens — have found themselves in the midst of a six-way battle for two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
At 17-30, the Celtics are three games (in the loss column) behind a struggling and injured Miami Heat team for eighth place in the conference. The question is now, though: should the Celtics strive forward for a playoff berth, or should they simply tank their way at an opportunity to strike gold on NBA draft lottery night?
That could also be asked for many teams in the Eastern Conference.
Although, at least for the time being, Stevens is kind of messing with the Celtics’ front office plans. I’m pretty sure, after cutting ties with Rondo and stockpiling a myriad of draft picks, Danny Ainge would much rather find their way to the top of the NBA draft lottery board. Stevens has other plans.
Much like his coaching career history, Stevens doesn’t have the most talented team, nor does anyone really expect anything from his squad.
Like his days at Butler, Stevens is messing around and making the Celtics a thing in the NBA again — in a blink of an eye. Which is exactly why Stevens should be considered for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award.
Coach of the Year
While the rest of the NBA is focused on what Steve Kerr and Mike Budenholzer are doing with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks, respectively, Stevens is just going about his business quietly making the Celtics into a sleeper playoff contender.
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No one expected it, and surely didn’t see this happening when Rondo was shipped to Dallas. This usually doesn’t happen in the NBA. There’s not much precedent to it.
Usually, when a team parts ways with its face of the franchise, said team doesn’t make a playoff run shortly after. It’s usually followed by a year, if not years, of rebuilding and a first class seat the road of the NBA’s irrelevancy train.
That’s not what Stevens is about, though.
Stevens has his team playing for a playoff spot right now and, after a 25-win season a year ago, is on pace to improve his record from last season. The cherry on top would be a playoff berth. And if Stevens can accomplish that with this year’s Boston Celtics team, a roster that is not impressive to say the least, he should be seriously considered for NBA Coach of the Year. Despite paying in the inferior conference.
A starting lineup of Marcus Smart (rookie), Evan Turner, Avery Bradley, Brandon Bass and Jared Sullinger doesn’t exactly scream playoffs in today’s NBA.
Stevens took a job a year and a half ago with no guarantees. Not many knew what to expect from a college coach that was hired from Butler. But, as he has done for the better-part of his young coaching career, Stevens is making believers out of his doubters.
He won’t be mentioned in the same sentence as the NBA’s top-tier coaches, such as Gregg Popovich, Tom Thibodeau, Rick Carlisle or even Eric Spoelstra, one thing he will do, however, is work his tail off and maximize the potential out of his Boston Celtics.
Stevens has been doing just that this season, and it’s time to start recognizing him.