Brad Stevens - Celtics
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Best basketball coach on the planet. That’s not getting caught up in the moment, I’ve thought that for a while. Kinda like by 1988 or so Michael Jordan was pretty clearly the best player in the world even though he hadn’t yet won anything.
Plus, he won the Nobel Prize! From the Ringer:
“Ah, yes, Brad Stevens. As you probably know, Stevens is already widely considered the greatest coach in basketball history. On James Naismith’s deathbed, he turned to his loved ones and said, “My greatest achievement is inventing the sport that one day Brad Stevens will coach,” which confused everybody, because the name “Brad” wasn’t invented until 1974. Widely considered the inspiration for Norman Dale in Hoosiers, Coach Taylor in Friday Night Lights, and Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln, Stevens is the first—and to date, only—recipient of the Nobel Prize for coaching.”
Plus, he won the Nobel Prize! From the Ringer:
“Ah, yes, Brad Stevens. As you probably know, Stevens is already widely considered the greatest coach in basketball history. On James Naismith’s deathbed, he turned to his loved ones and said, “My greatest achievement is inventing the sport that one day Brad Stevens will coach,” which confused everybody, because the name “Brad” wasn’t invented until 1974. Widely considered the inspiration for Norman Dale in Hoosiers, Coach Taylor in Friday Night Lights, and Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln, Stevens is the first—and to date, only—recipient of the Nobel Prize for coaching.”
Content-free spin.
He has never come anywhere close to being offered the UK job and if he were offered it it's only your green-colored glasses telling you he wouldn't see it as:
Hmmmm... successfully coach THE greatest college franchise of all time
OR
Spend my time making less money, with less job security, "coaching" in a league where there really is hardly any authentic coaching, or offense, or defense at all....just a lot of one-on-one bullshit.
I have no opinion on which of those views would be closer to Stevens' opinion in the hypothetical instance. But I do know that you claiming you do know is pure spin and nothing else.
You literally said never in your first sentence, and then told people to never say it in your second.
My bad attempt at sarcasmCared enough to comment in the thread that you don’t care
The East is so boring. Instead of getting what we thought we would (Cavs vs up and coming 76ers, which could have been a good series) we get a crippled Boston team without arguable its best two players. We will get a worthy western conference finals though in the varsity conference...the real NBA Title is the western conference finals.
All that said, Stevens is an amazing coach and the best in the business that hasn't won jack yet. I do think that will change in the coming years with a healthy Boston....but not until the Warriors break up.
All that said, Stevens is an amazing coach and the best in the business that hasn't won jack yet. I do think that will change in the coming years with a healthy Boston....but not until the Warriors break up.
Give it up. You’re on the losing side of this argument and looking plain silly doubling down.
The Sixers youth and inexperience is killing them in this series. They should be up 2-1 in this series. They have lost something like 7 games this year when they had a 20+ point lead in the second half. That is crazy. I've always thought they were a year or two away.
Stfu you pussy. You literally know nothing about basketball
If UK offered him $10 million a year, I bet he would definitely consider it. No one really coaches in the NBA anymore. The players do pretty much what they want. Coaches are just managers now. At some point, Stevens will get tired of that.
He may “consider” it but it wouldn’t happen.
Also, Stevens absolutely coaches as opposed to “just being a “manager.”
Predicting that he will get “tired” of being a top tier coach for one of if not the most successful organization in all of Basketball is wishful thinking imo.
Brad Stevens grew up idolizing Bobby Knight and loved watching IU with his dad. I doubt he ever returns to College but if he did he would likely go to IU to bring them back to relevance or possibly Duke because of the Coach K and Knight connection.
So when's the last time you watched the NBA, 2002?
You are arguably one of my favorite posters. The ineptitude on this thread is absurd.
No chance he ever comes back to the college game. He's already building a reputation like Pop where he is The Star of the team and considered the reason for their success. Other coaches just fade into the background behind the stars on the team and that could piss some guys off, but Stevens will always get accolades even if they pull in some big time players
Right now, he’s looked at as the best coach in professional basketball. Pop is up there but I guarantee you after this season, people around the league will call him the best. He is going nowhere. The Celtics are set up to win for a long time too.
He’s one of the top 2 coaches in the NBA. Would obviously love to see him here after Cal but don’t ever see him returning to college.
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/5/5/17323504/brad-stevens-celtics-timeout-ato-breakdown-video
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/5/5/17323504/brad-stevens-celtics-timeout-ato-breakdown-video
Maybe Darrin Stevens, if he brought along Samantha. She was a babe and she could help us go 120-0 by just the wiggle of her nose.
Nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz, played by Zipp
On the other hand, the Celtics have won numerous games this year after trailing by 20+. Even without Kyrie Irving.
I went to the game last night and Stevens just flat out put on a clinic in coaching. Here are just a few things I noticed:
1) Left Tatum in the game after he picked up a third foul in the second quarter. He immediately scored 5 points and forced a Sixers timeout.
2) Brought in Shane Larkin when Rozier refused a couple of shots. Larkin immediately stole an inbounds pass and got a layup.
3) Left Jaylen Brown in the game after he picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter. He immediately hit a three.
4) Called a timeout with 8 seconds left in regulation when he saw Marcus Morris stuck in the corner about to take a bad shot. Then he set up the amazing play that got Al Horford a layup. That play ended with Embiid 20 feet from the basket and Robert Covington guarding Horford.
5) Made J.J. Redick and Marco Belinelli, two of the best shooters in the NBA, look like trash on defense and forced Brett Brown to limit Belinelli's minutes.
And BTW the Belinelli shot at the end of regulation should not have counted at all, because Irsan Ilyasova moved on the screen and knocked Rozier down before the shot. Stevens also had the right defense set for that play because the Sixers have run it a few times.
He's not the best, because we live in a world where people see the thing that will probably eventually be the best and rush to proclaim that it already is so they can seem smart and first.
But he's really good.
Saying coaching doesn't matter in the NBA is just one of those things people who hate and don't watch the NBA say. You can't argue with them because they aren't based in reality.
Brad Stevens is a weirdo who loves basketball. The NBA is perfect for him. He doesn't have to do anything but coach professional basketball players. He isn't recruiting or being a father figure or making sure guys go to class or glad handing alumni or anything else. He's coaching professional basketball players.
But he's really good.
Saying coaching doesn't matter in the NBA is just one of those things people who hate and don't watch the NBA say. You can't argue with them because they aren't based in reality.
Brad Stevens is a weirdo who loves basketball. The NBA is perfect for him. He doesn't have to do anything but coach professional basketball players. He isn't recruiting or being a father figure or making sure guys go to class or glad handing alumni or anything else. He's coaching professional basketball players.
If you are going to insult someone, at least know the definition of "literally" and how to use it in a sentence. I propose a ban on the word "literally", since seemingly 80% of the time, the word is used incorrectly.
Anyway, Brad Stevens is excellent; let's see what he does with Gordon and Kyrie being back in the fold. The expectations are going to be through the roof.
You will get your wish. Brad Stevens doesn't want UK either. We have a coach and I am willing to let it play out until the time comes to replace Calipari. Now is not the time. Stevens will never coach UK.
Pitino was not very good as the Celtics coach. With the Knicks, he was pretty successful. The Knicks were coming off 23 and 24 win seasons when Pitino got there, and that was with Patrick Ewing. Pitino won 38, then 52. The problem was that he didn't get along with Al Bianchi, who was team president/GM. Not the last time that Pitino's ego would cause problems. The Knicks backslid for 2 years after Pitino left, then they got Pat Riley.
Other than that, though, you're right. Stevens is already more successful than Pitino ever was in the NBA, hasn't shown any signs of struggling to get along with anyone, and even if things somehow fell apart in Boston, he would have his pick of almost any job he wanted. Stevens has 0 reason to ever return to college. He wants to be Gregg Popovich, not Mike Krzyzewski.
Both Kentucky and Duke would love to get Stevens but he's not going anywhere. You only leave the pro game if you failed. You don't leave when you're a contender. I'm pretty sure Boston will win a championship in a few years.
And short of Boston struggling and his job being threatened, I would never reach out to Stevens because then it devalues the job offer.
And short of Boston struggling and his job being threatened, I would never reach out to Stevens because then it devalues the job offer.
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Especially with he youthfulness of the team... I am not so sure that Hayward and Irving will be able to play together, but if anybody could do it .. they got the right guy in Stevens...
I’m not quite ready to dub him the next Phil Jackson but for those contending that he’s never won anything, who on earth could have won a championship with those Butler teams or an nba title with the current Celtics roster? They’re a pretty good team but they ain’t the Warriors. I’m really impressed with the job he’s done.
