Brad Stevens: Killer of talent
When Gordon Hayward signed for the Celtics in 2017, it was no surprise to see the NBA star leave Utah to reunite with his former collegiate coach in Boston. I mean the duo of Gordon Hayward and Brad Stevens almost made history. During Gordon’s final year at Butler University, they came one bounce away from a historic national championship. Making the title game, Butler went up against collegiate powerhouse Duke, led by Coach K. The fifth seed Bulldogs advanced to the game with wins over the likes of Syracuse, Kansas State and Michigan State. Their first finals appearance would be spoiled as with a few seconds left, Duke was up by one with a shooter at the free throw line. After the first free throw attempt was successful, Coach K called a curveball. He instructed the free throw shooter to miss his next shot as Butler had no timeouts remaining. The player did as he was told and as the seconds wound down, Gordon Hayward had a mid court shot for immortality. The ball so elegantly left his hands as the buzzer expired. As it vaulted towards the rim, the crowd was frozen. It banked off the glass, off the rim and thus no good. A centimeter prevented Hayward’s and Steven’s first championship. Now reunited in the pros, both had eyes on the biggest prize in basketball. Hayward just signed a massive contract and Stevens was touted as the NBA’s next great coach. Now five years later, Hayward is a Hornet and Stevens is no longer a coach. Their fingers remain barren as a ring continues to exclude them.
After signing Hayward, the Celtics drafted Jayson Tatum. Tatum now a star, came on to the scene when Hayward went down with a season ending injury in his first ever game as a Celtic. However Tatum is 24 and has yet to reach an NBA finals. Quite frankly, Stevens time in Boston has been a failure. They failed to overcome Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on multiple occasions, despite trading for LeBron’s robin in Kyrie Irving. Lebron left and the team would continue to suffer as Kyrie proved useless in green and he was soon exchanged for Kemba Walker. That didn’t work and despite being the favorites in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020, they lost in six to the Miami Heat led by Jimmy Butler. Stevens final season ended with a first round exit to the Brooklyn Nets.
Stevens would then get an unwarranted position as the Celtics GM/ President of Basketball Operations, replacing Danny Ainge in the role. He would hire long time San Antonio Spurs assistant Ime Udoka to be the Celtics next Head Coach. In the offseason, he would trade Walker and a first round pick to bring back Al Horford. Though the Celtics are now getting hot, they sit at fifth in the East and look to be in no position to beat the teams ahead of them.
Stevens had high expectations and with rosters consisting with the talents of Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Evan Fournier, Tristian Thompson and Robert Williams III, Stevens could not make it to the finals, let alone win it. He is a failure, a underachiever in the pros, a bad team manager. I do not like his decision making skills as an executive and do not tell me he had no say in the multiple moves the Celtics have made since 2013. The Celtics since 1992 (The year Larry Bird retired) have failed as an organization. Only one title in 30 years despite acquiring a plethora of talent is unacceptable. There will always be a big dog, a LeBron, a Giannis, a Jimmy Butler, however you have your own in Jayson Tatum. As long as Brad Stevens has any control in Boston, a title will continue to elude the proud franchise.
