Since Brad Stevens started coaching one of the most successful franchises in NBA history, the Boston Celtics, he has always preached the value of hard work.
Last season, the team overachieved by making a run in the playoffs with the majority of basketball experts, including seasoned analysts, not giving them a chance of reaching the postseason.
Despite having a star in their lineup, they relied heavily on teamwork and the system produced an all-star in Isaiah Thomas. However, everyone knows that Thomas and the C's would not have won the games they did last year without displaying hard-nosed defense and a healthy dose of blue-collar work.
This season will not be different than their last campaign even with the addition of center Al Horford. The 39-year-old bench tactician delivers the same message to his players and wants them to work even harder. Even local sport writers covering the team like Scott Souza of Gatehouse Media and Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com have tweeted Stevens' responses when asked what he wants from his team in the 2016-2017 season:
#Celtics coach Brad Stevens: We have to be a blue-collar team to have success.
— Scott Souza (@Scott_Souza) September 26, 2016
"As I just told the team, there's not a lot of room between finishing 10th and second." Stevens "It's a simple, boring process."
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 26, 2016
The Boston faithful now hold big expectations out of their team, but this does not change the perception of Stevens that the Eastern Conference is very competitive. Last year, the East's third and 10th seeds were only separated by a total of seven games.
This serves as a reminder for him to always stay focused. And when asked about their chances of winning it all next June, the former Butler bench boss gave a very humble, yet realistic, response. Per Tom Westerholm of MassLive:
Stevens is asked about winning a championship. “We have a long way to go before talking about all that stuff."
— Tom Westerholm (@Tom_NBA) September 26, 2016
Now, with only a few weeks left before they kickoff their season, it remains to be seen whether or not the Boston Celtics can replicate, or even improve on what they had last season. Only time can tell.
Follow Us
Subscribe