Wednesday has been a wild day for the Boston Celtics. Danny Ainge has officially stepped down as general manager and president of the Celtics, which had put Boston in a position to find his replacement. Instead, head coach Brad Stevens has taken over the gig held by Ainge, leaving the head coaching vacancy open.
It's a weird move that happened rather quickly. It's tough to say how it will pan out, as Brad Stevens has never held a front office position before. He's been the head coach of the Celtics since 2013, where he holds a career record of 354-282, giving him a .557 winning percentage.
Boston is now in search of a new head coach, which might be a good thing. The Celtics struggled this year even though their roster looks the part on paper. Even so, Boston went .500 on the season and were bounced out in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Ainge did everything he could to keep the Celtics competitive, but ultimately felt it was time to move on. The Celtics are under Brad Stevens regime now, which might be a better move than expected. Here are three reasons why Brad Stevens leaving coaching is good for the Celtics.
Stevens needed a new role
Stevens didn't seem like himself this season and it showed. The Celtics finished with the worst record under him since 2014, when Stevens and the Celtics finished with a 40-42 record. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Stevens had been “worn down with coaching since The Bubble.”
Stevens has been described as worn down with coaching since The Bubble, and welcomed the chance to make the transition to the front office, sources tell ESPN. Stevens will help lead the search for his successor as head coach.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 2, 2021
It sounds as though Stevens' heart wasn't in coaching anymore, but that he still wants to maintain a career in the NBA. With Brad Stevens burnt out, Boston was able to retain him within their organization and give him a shot at a front office job. He's in a role he prefers and is in the driver's seat to lead the franchise.
Understands what the roster needs
After coaching the Celtics for 8 years, nobody understands the roster better than Brad Stevens. In fact, he knows exactly what this current Celtics team needs to improve. His coaching experience gives him a massive advantage in player evaluation, which could be the missing piece the Boston front office was missing.
Stevens also has coaching experience at the collegiate level, as he served as the Butler Bulldogs head coach before accepting the Celtics job. That means Stevens has experience scouting and searching for young talent to improve a roster. He brings that to the table, which could mean Boston has their best NBA drafts ahead of them.
Will have full control to find the perfect replacement
The general manager and head coach share a special connection when building a team. They work hand-in-hand to obtain the right players to fit the scheme. Franchises typically struggle when the general manager and head coach share different philosophies. Boston won't have to worry about that, as Stevens' coaching experience allows him to search for a new coach that fits the organization.
Stevens knows exactly what the Celtics need to be successful and he'll know which coaching candidates make the most sense. Look for Stevens to conduct a thorough search, as hiring a head coach is his first goal now being apart of the Boston Celtics front office.
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