Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens' status has been a pretty consistent topic of discussion in the midst of a frustrating season, but his job is safe.
Adrian Wojnarowski discussed Stevens' future with the Celtics on ESPN's Get Up program Tuesday morning, saying Stevens will be back in Boston next season:
“Brad Stevens … is going to be back,” Wojnarowski said. “The idea that his job might be in jeopardy is just not accurate.”
Boston entered the season as a preseason favorite in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics were coming off a conference finals appearance last summer, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown coming into their own as superstars and Kemba Walker also spearheading the backcourt. However, Stevens' team did not live up to the preseason billing.
The Celtics had to grind just to get the No. 7 seed in the East. Boston's roster dealt with early COVID issues. Combo guard and defensive savant Marcus Smart missed an extensive amount of time due to injury. Walker has been banged up seemingly all season. The Celtics have lacked a true offensive presence in the frontcourt, often resorting to more defensive-minded rotations inside. The most crippling blow came last week, when it was revealed Brown would miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his left wrist.
Meanwhile, Stevens endured some drama his own after being exposed to a bunch of false linkage to the head coaching job at Indiana University. He repeatedly denied being a candidate, but the rumors only seemed to fuel speculation about his standing in Boston.
The Celtics could have their hands full with the Washington Wizards in Tuesday night's play-in. Even if the Celtics advance to the standard playoff bracket, it's hard to envision them making a deep run.
Still, Stevens is expected to remain in Beantown. He probably deserves a longer leash given some of the roster issues the Celtics have experienced this season.
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