With what’s transpired for the Boston Celtics this season, there’s been a fair amount of speculation regarding who’s to blame for the team underperforming. Kyrie Irving isn’t committed anymore. Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier aren’t buying in because they want to get theirs. Will Gordon Hayward ever return to form?
The coach, Brad Stevens, has not been exempt from this speculation as Boston’s downward spiral continued on Wednesday — despite showing improved energy — with the Celtics losing 97-92 against the Portland Trailblazers.
Whatever the reason has been on a given night, there seems to be a level of disconnect within the team, based on the Celtics’ play and how they’ve interacted with the media. If there is, in fact, an issue with players not getting on the same page, that’s, in part, on Stevens.
When it comes to Stevens’ job security, only the opinion of one person matters above the rest: Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. In his weekly spot with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher & Rich,” Ainge sounded fairly content with how Stevens has gone about his business.
There’s blame to share for everybody, but I will say this: he’s the least, by far, of anybody that there is to blame because I know that Brad is going to be prepared and I know that Brad is putting in the work to do whatever he can to try to help this team and fix this team. So that is the very bottom of the rung. I know that he takes more responsibility than anybody, in my opinion, as to the success and lack of success. He takes ownership in things that he’s needs to do better. He’s the least of the problems, of all the problems that we have on our team right now.
At some point, though, results have to take priority over effort. That’s not to say it’s all on Stevens to get results, but at some point, it may come down to him being the right man for the job or the group of players not being the right mix.
