CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is regarded around the league as a basketball savant. Kyrie Irving said Stevens has been drawing up new plays nonstop in anticipation of the upcoming season, and the head coach revealed Friday what the team is focusing on as they try to take the next step to the NBA Finals.
“On offense we have to do a better job of recognizing when we need to be organized,” Stevens said. “That's been something we've tried to work on over the last few years. We were better at it two years ago than we were last year. In large part because we had all the change, and obviously the injuries. But it's a big part of our emphasis in the first 10 days.”
Stevens said this has mainly been a problem for his team when they don't have a primary transition opportunity. The Celtics have a roster full of players who can handle the ball in transition, and his new sets will probably take advantage of this. Even though they were one of the most versatile squads in the NBA last year, Boston ranked 20th in the NBA in points per game.
“We have a lot of guys who can shoot, dribble, you know, do it all on the floor,” said Celtics big man Al Horford.”
Horford is just one of the many players Stevens will use to optimize his team's fluidity on the hardwood.
The Celtics will play the Charlotte Hornets at the Dean Smith Center in their first preseason game of the year on Friday night. If the Celtics get more organized, they could elevate to a top-tier scoring team this season.
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