After facing elimination two days ago, the Celtics have made some big changes. In a shocking move, long time president of basketball operations and general manager Danny Ainge resigned after the loss. Coach Brad Stevens will be receiving a promotion and taking the position, as he has reportedly been burned out from coaching and would like to do something different. Brad Stevens has always had an eye for talent and has been a great scout, so despite what some critics say, I think he is very suited for this role and will do very well. However, as we have reached the end of the Brad Stevens coaching era, this poses the question of what is next for them. They did not live up to the hype they had after 2017, and have been the most disappointing team in basketball this past season. So, let’s look at what went wrong and how they can correct it and become the championship contender they were hyped up to be.
What Went Wrong?
Let’s flash back to 2017. The Celtics trade for Kyrie Irving took the league by storm and made Boston the favorite to dominate the East for the next few years. LeBron was correctly expected to leave Cleveland and the Celtics were given a “true superstar” to play with Tatum and Brown, and was considered an upgrade over Isaiah Thomas.
The Kyrie experiment obviously did not go how Boston had hoped. Even though Kyrie was an all star both of his seasons in Boston, his tenure is considered a disappointment overall. In a matter of months, Kyrie went from saying he wanted to retire a Celtic to refusing to commit to the team long term. Tension increased throughout the year with Kyrie facing personal issues, injuries and drama with his teammates, the Celtics lost in the Eastern Conference semis and Kyrie bolted to Brooklyn shortly after.
The Celtics have not been able to figure out the point guard position and develop consistency overall since Kyrie left. While Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have developed well and will be superstars at some point, they are having a very hard time winning games at a consistent rate. Kemba Walker has also been a huge disappointment since leaving Charlotte. There is a very legitimate argument that the team has not been the same since Isaiah Thomas was traded, even though he hasn’t been very successful elsewhere. The Celtics have also struggled to have depth on their team, so if one of their starters is not fully healthy they are going to lose.
What’s Next?
Brad Stevens needs to find some elite role players this offseason to take some of the burden off of Tatum. Tatum is only 23 and is still learning how to carry a team, he needs some of the pressure lifted off of him. Signing a big man will help lift some of the pressure off of him and Brown. John Collins would be a great fit for the team to help them out with frontcourt defense.
The Celtics also need to hire a coach that gets the best out of their players every single night. They will need a coach with a dedicated work ethic, passion for the franchise, strong communication skills, over their playbook necessarily.
What do you think is next for the Celtics and how can they turn it around?
Totally agree, Brad Steven’s was seen as an incredible coach and when he never made it to the finals and now he is leaving the position which is interesting. I just say he does have a good eye for talent though.