Brad Stevens: President of Basketball Ops

djbayko

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I cannot imagine Brad being DoBO makes it more likely Brown gets traded. I think if anything it makes it less likely we see a big trade.


Some people went back and noted that Brad's extension announcement talked about "keeping him in the organization for years to come" which is actually a weird way to phrase keeping a coach, but makes a lot of sense if it's with the understanding that at some point (now maybe it moved up a year or two after this year's struggles) you plan to shift him to DoBO
I do kind of worry that Brad has grown attachments with players, having worked every single day with them, which will make it more difficult for him to make tough personnel decisions. A GM kind of needs to be ruthless.
 

BaseballJones

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I do kind of worry that Brad has grown attachments with players, having worked every single day with them, which will make it more difficult for him to make tough personnel decisions. A GM kind of needs to be ruthless.
BB works with players every day and is pretty ruthless. I don't know that Brad has the same personality though.
 

cardiacs

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I am 100% buying this is all on Danny realizing time is not on his side and he wants to spend time with his family
 

Bleedred

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BB works with players every day and is pretty ruthless. I don't know that Brad has the same personality though.
I don't have any concerns about Brad's willingness to deliver hard messages. I think he's pretty ruthless when it comes to meritocracy and will absolutely do what's best for the team, notwithstanding any relationship he has had with the players. In fact, I think he may be better at this than Ainge, in time.
 

Jimbodandy

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BB works with players every day and is pretty ruthless. I don't know that Brad has the same personality though.
Brad will play a guy three straight games big minutes and then bench him for a week because he blew two possessions with stupid defensive rotations. I'm not worried about him being all puppies and unicorns.

Edit: Bleedred said it better.
 

benhogan

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Great post. Billups is it for me. He inspires instant respect as a person who also had a great basketball career, from flop to star to champion.
Billups is interesting. But I wouldn't hesitate in getting someone tied to the Jays, or another Head Coach that could coax a superstar wanting to come to Boston.
 

RedOctober3829

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I don't have any concerns about Brad's willingness to deliver hard messages. I think he's pretty ruthless when it comes to meritocracy and will absolutely do what's best for the team, notwithstanding any relationship he has had with the players. In fact, I think he may be better at this than Ainge, in time.
Yeah I agree with this. He sounds like he is ready to make changes to this roster already.
 

joe dokes

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Ainge has had a wonderful NBA career. 15 seasons as a player, went to 5 NBA finals, winning 2 of them. Averaged 11.5 points and 4.0 assists over his career. Not bad. As an exec, has taken Boston to 7 division titles, 2 NBA finals, 6 Eastern finals, and won one NBA title.

Pretty solid work on the whole.
And 2 heart attacks. He could really want to get away from the day-to-day.
 

Bread of Yaz

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We want a coach who's a minority, connects with today's players, and could maybe convince a top flight FA to come here? I have the perfect solution: Rich Paul.

(Ducks quickly)
 

RedOctober3829

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Billups is interesting. But I wouldn't hesitate in getting someone tied to the Jays, or another Head Coach that could coax a superstar wanting to come to Boston.
Juwan Howard would be my choice. Previous NBA coaching experience and current head coaching experience albeit college, former player, and proven winner. He's young enough that these players know his story as part of the Fab Five and was a key leadership piece among the players in Miami that won 3 championships. I think he'd instantly gain respect of the Jays.
 

HomeRunBaker

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I do kind of worry that Brad has grown attachments with players, having worked every single day with them, which will make it more difficult for him to make tough personnel decisions. A GM kind of needs to be ruthless.
These aren’t necessarily “his guys” though. It’s likely he had some input but at the end of the day these were Danny’s picks. We will soon find out who Brad liked/disliked. I expect Jabari to be released by 5pm today.
 

HomeRunBaker

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We want a coach who's a minority, connects with today's players, and could maybe convince a top flight FA to come here? I have the perfect solution: Rich Paul.

(Ducks quickly)
So long as being able to see over the scorers table isn’t a requirement he’d be a great choice.
 

benhogan

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Juwan Howard would be my choice. Previous NBA coaching experience and current head coaching experience albeit college, former player, and proven winner. He's young enough that these players know his story as part of the Fab Five and was a key leadership piece among the players in Miami that won 3 championships. I think he'd instantly gain respect of the Jays.
Howard should be in the running
 

Merkle's Boner

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How soon before the next coach is struggling and the rumors begin about Brad replacing him with himself?
 

DJnVa

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Ainge has had a wonderful NBA career. 15 seasons as a player, went to 5 NBA finals, winning 2 of them. Averaged 11.5 points and 4.0 assists over his career. Not bad. As an exec, has taken Boston to 7 division titles, 2 NBA finals, 6 Eastern finals, and won one NBA title.
Celtics press release says 7 Eastern finals, which seems wrong no?

2008, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2020.

In his 18 years guiding the team, Ainge's teams made 15 playoff appearances, seven Eastern Conference Finals, two NBA Finals, and brought the team a championship in 2008, the franchise's 17th and first in 22 years. Ainge was the first, and to this point, only general manager hired by the current Celtics ownership group, led by Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca. Since the 2007-08 season, the Celtics have won more playoff games than any team in the NBA.
 

DJnVa

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Kind of, not really. Los Angeles, 9am, self employed, work from home.

Anyways, this move proves once again that we know nothing.
Ah, I even checked your profile and saw Waltham, MA :)
 

reggiecleveland

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How soon before the next coach is struggling and the rumors begin about Brad replacing him with himself?
You don't win talk starts. part of any job, even at the high school job. You win talks stops until you lose the next game.

Also I advocating signing Juwan Howard Jr. to our CEBL team. I admit mostly I wanted to meet his father.
 

lexrageorge

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The Celtics coaching position will be a fairly plumb opening; don't forget, these coaching candidates are looking for challenges. There are worse challenges than having 2 young All-Stars.
 

Marbleheader

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It was time for both of them to move on. Not sure how you solve the Kemba problem, but that likely won't happen until the last year of his deal if ever.
 

BaseballJones

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Celtics press release says 7 Eastern finals, which seems wrong no?

2008, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2020.
Yep.

2007-08, won NBA finals
2009-10, lost NBA finals
2011-12, lost East finals
2016-17, lost East finals
2017-18, lost East finals
2019-20, lost East finals

Maybe he was with the organization in some capacity in 2001-02, when they lost in the East finals?
 

bsj

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Scal seems to strongly think it's going to be Kara Lawson FWIW.
I dont know if she would be the best hire. This statement I am about to make is not reflective of a deep analysis on the impact of this.

But.

I would LOVE a Boston sports org to be leaders on something like this. As long as she knows her stuff, and players (both on the current team and outside the org) would want to play for her, I am on board...
 

BaseballJones

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I have no idea if Kara Lawson would make a good NBA coach. But she's a terrific person who definitely is very knowledgable about basketball.
 

nighthob

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Edit- also McMillan is a really good coach who has repeatedly gotten fired for basically plateauing at above his team's talent.
I've always liked Nate, and I agree with you about his dismissals, it's almost like he convinces front offices that their teams are better than they really are by bleeding every last ounce of performance out of them.
 

blueline

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Kara Lawson seems like she could definitely be a NBA head coach someday, but her coaching resume now is incredibly thin. One season as an assistant in Boston and then four games at Duke.
 

Clears Cleaver

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I mean, you asked about his background on talent evaluation and he has arguably the best evaluation resume over the last 20 years in college basketball in recruiting mid-major prospects who grew into being one basket from being National Champions. What do you think player evaluation is? The guy literally built the Butler program. That is his resume right there.
Man, this is a bad take. Finding guys who were undersized and could play a little bit and coaching them up for four years so you beat a bunch of freshmen and sophomores in college is not the same thing as finding college kids who could play in the pros and matchup against elite players every night. He got lucky with Hayward and had one other NBA player in Shelvin Mack, who is epitome of journeyman NBA guy. both were recruited in his first year as coach at Butler. Hayward was a three-star kid who only got recruited by B10 teams late after he grew eight inches in his sophomore and junior years. AFTER he made two straight final fours, Stevens never recruited another guy who made it to the league, despite presumably having a much better pool of talent available to him. so in six years, he recruited two NBA players. I'm not even including the five years prior when he was an assistant coach at Butler and was a recruiter.

no one questions him ability to coach. But no way can you look at his time Butler and say his strength is NBA talent evaluation

edit: now Jay Wright? that guy seems to be able to find NBA talent.
 

bankshot1

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I dont know if she would be the best hire. This statement I am about to make is not reflective of a deep analysis on the impact of this.

But.

I would LOVE a Boston sports org to be leaders on something like this.
As long as she knows her stuff, and players (both on the current team and outside the org) would want to play for her, I am completely on board...
Bill Russell just raised his hand.

And I understand that diversity in the coaching hire will be in part a PR move to dilute recent events on how Boston is seen nationally. There has to be sensitivity to the issue.

Red Auerbach ain't walking through that front door, and if he were it would probably be closed to an old white guy.
 

bsj

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Bill Russell just raised his hand.

And I understand that diversity in the coaching hire will be in part a PR move to dilute recent events on how Boston is seen nationally. There has to be sensitivity to the issue.

Red Auerbach ain't walking through that front door, and if he were it would probably be closed to an old white guy.
I didnt say they never have been. I very carefully phrased my words there. :D
 

reggiecleveland

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I would LOVE a Boston sports org to be leaders on something like this. As long as she knows her stuff, and players (both on the current team and outside the org) would want to play for her, I am on board...
I mean are you saying "again"
Imagine a team that drafted the first black player, first black starting 5, first black coach in any sport, 3 black coaches wining titles? You mean that type of leadership?
 

radsoxfan

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My take after the press conference:


1. Danny/ownership seem believable that Danny came to them awhile ago about stepping down. Seems like it was Danny's decision, at least primarily.

2. Brad explicitly said he would have been happy to stay as coach with a new GM/president. I get the sense he is open to trying this role but it also may not be his preference. I think he is being a good soldier more than he wants to leave the coaching spot.

3. Wyc seems to think that Brad's best talent may not be coaching specifically, but in general basketball evaluation, strategy, upper management etc. This helps make him a "good" coach, but he seems hopeful it will make him a great president of basketball OPs.

4. My guess is that the future is still open ended for Brad. Try this for a year or two, see how he likes it, and if it works out. Wouldn't be surprised to see him as a head coach in the pros or in college in a couple years though.
 
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