Brad Stevens: The Future of NBA Coaching
In 2013 when Danny Ainge hired Brad Stevens from Butler University to lead the Celtics no one knew what to expect. I mean we all knew he could coach after we witnessed him leading Butler University to back to back National Championship game appearances in 2010 and 2011. We knew exactly what to make of his transition to the NBA as well as the level of success he would have once he was there. Everyone does not have the basketball mind that Danny Ainge possesses. Not everyone can see what he sees and for what it’s worth his vision has paid off big time the last five years. The Celtics are on the rise with Brad Stevens as their elite coach who has the chance to win a lot of basketball games in the future.
Brad Stevens began his career as an assistant making $18k a year with the Butler Bulldogs to becoming one of the best coaches in the NBA. Phot Wikipedia
Taking a chance on a young coach like Brad Stevens was deemed a risky move by some when Danny Ainge decided to hire the 37-year-old to lead his team. After all, this is a players league and many players have a tendency to look down on coaches especially young coaches. Initially, Stevens really struggled in Boston with a really young team and not having the proper pieces in place to win games which explains why they only won 25 games in the first season with him at the helm. Stevens’ career in Boston started to take a turn for the better starting in the 2014-2015 season and they have been on the rise ever since then becoming one of the better teams in the NBA as Stevens became one of the games best and brightest coaches.
The Boston Celtics introduced their new head coach Brad Stevens at their Waltham practice facility. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
A true testament to Stevens coaching prowess has been this past regular season (2017-2018) when he dealt with losing his big free agent acquisition, Gordon Hayward, on opening night. Hayward was signed to help the Celtics take the next step and him going down could have thrown the season out of whack.
He was such a good coach at Butler and is such a good coach now he’s one that other coaches watch with a pen in their hand taking notes.
-Bob Hurley Sr.
With all-star Kyrie Irving, rising star Jaylen Brown, super rookie Jason Tatum to name a few the team picked it up and got things going to have a spectacular season. It’s not easy to lose an all-star like Hayward and keep things going particularly when you have six new players that you have to gel together things can get interesting. However, Stevens has kept these guys focused and hungry all season and deep into this playoff run despite losing all-star Kyrie Irving towards the end of the season. No one expected them to have the Cleveland Cavaliers on the ropes like this during the playoffs. On top of having great young players who fear no one, Brad Stevens has been calling the right plays and getting them ready at all times. There have been a few hiccups along the way but they have stayed on par with everything and are in the midst of a great playoff run. The Celtics have shown the world that they are going to be a force to be reckoned with for a long time.
Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens is one of the youngest and most talented coaches in the NBA, despite not getting a single vote for the Coach of the Year award. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Five years into his career it’s safe to say that Brad Stevens coaching career is still on the up and up. He is one of the brightest young minds in the game. He’s even been called the best young coach in the game as well as earning the praise of some legendary coaches. Hall of Famer Bob Hurley Sr. just said: “He was such a good coach at Butler and is such a good coach now he’s one that other coaches watch with a pen in their hand taking notes.” That says a lot coming from a man who dominated the high school level for many years and is well respected in the coaching fraternity worldwide. Brad Stevens seems to have the Midas Touch, his players want to play for him and he simply gets the job. If Danny Ainge continues to work his magic behind closed doors and fuel the players need to compete on a nightly basis I have a feeling the Celtics might be raising another banner in the near future.
In Five Seasons as The Boston Celtics Head Coach Stevens has a record of 410-221 and is a finalist for the NBA Coach Of The Year Award.