INDIANAPOLIS — Brad Stevens did his best to stay out of the limelight as usual after the Celtics clinched their second trip to the NBA Finals under his watch on Monday night. The team president of basketball operations greeted players in a side hallway on their way to the locker room, staying out of view of most cameras.
Wyc Grousbeck gave Stevens a shoutout during the trophy presentation but Stevens otherwise succeeded in keeping a low profile after the win, just the way he prefers to operate. This was a night for the players and coaches, not for him. Make no mistake, Stevens fingerprints was all over this win as Boston overmatched their third straight East opponent on their way to securing the franchise’s first title in 18 years.
Boston had plenty of luck go their way when it came to shorthanded opponents in the past few weeks. However, this team created some of its own luck with the way it was built last offseason.
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Building a roster to withstand injury
The path to the NBA Finals couldn’t have been much easier for the Celtics but it’s easy to forget Boston cruised despite not having Kristaps Porzingis available for their last ten games. A lot of that is a credit to Stevens and his front office for building a front court to withstand that possibility. A variety of low priced options fortified Boston’s pricy top talent all year long coming off the bench and those pieces came through during the postseason. Luke Kornet came through with multiple big games off the bench as a backup center while Payton Pritchard was a net positive in a sixth man role all postseason long. Even deep reserves Oshae Brissett and Xavier Tillman had their moments during the Pacers series.
More important than the bit players, Stevens built a core of starting talent capable of withstanding the absence of a player like Porzingis on the postseason stage. Jrue Holiday and Al Horford were able to slide into bigger offensive roles without taking away anything from their defensive contributions. All year long, Boston’s front office brushed off any declarations that the team needed flashier depth behind Porzingis and Al Horford. Through three rounds, that calculation looks the proper one.
Nailing the big gambles
Stevens wasted no time putting his fingerprints on this roster when taking over in the summer of 2021. He brought back Al Horford with a first round pick and proceeded to value veteran production over future draft assets by sending out a first round pick and a highly unprotected pick swap for Derrick White in 2022.
Horford has served as a rock for the team in the middle since his return, with the added bonus of Boston re-signing him on a discount extension after his max deal expired. His fit next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had always been ideal and bringing him back as a supplemental piece has put this group in position to succeed. The same can be said for betting on White two years ago who has surpassed the offensive upside even the most positive pundits probably had him pegged for in San Antonio. Finding a guy with his durability and defensive versatility has taken some pressure off Boston’s top talent, even if it took Joe Mazzulla an extra year to give him the role he deserved.
Stevens fixed that problem though this offseason by sending Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon out the door to bet on White and sizable upgrades in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. The window of opportunity was clearly here and now with this group with supermax salaries set to kick in a mere two years from now for Brown and Tatum. It was now or never for the Celtics to push all their chips in and they did so in a way that put them above the pack talent wise for the rest of the NBA. Betting on Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to fill a leadership void opened by Smart’s departure was also a calculated gamble that worked well for Stevens as both stars have showed their improved maturity during this playoff push.
Placing faith in Joe Mazzulla
After a tumultuous run last postseason, year two of the Joe Mazzulla has been a far smoother ride. Stevens placed a ton of faith in the young coach in the wake of Ime Udoka’s suspension and he showed plenty of warts managing a top-tier contender in his first year on the job.
Stevens stuck with Mazzulla through the turmoil and a full offseason of preparation worked wonders for the 35-year-old in year two. His growth was apparent as he was able to put more of his stamp on the team day in and day out. With simpler lineups choices for crunch time and a dynamic offensive lineup, Mazzulla had his team playing consistently and was able to manage minutes and personality well. It was a boring 64-win season in a way that Stevens likely loved. No drama, no long losing streaks, just steady play for the better part of 82 games with guys enjoying doing it for Mazzulla.
One more test
This team has not completed the job yet after cruising past an undermanned Eastern Conference but Boston will be the heavy favorites no matter what happens out West. With Porzingis expected to be ready for the NBA Finals, the Celtics will be well rested and have their full arsenal of weapons to go against their toughest test of the season. Stevens has put this group in the best possible position to succeed and it’s now on the players to finish the job.
