Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens feels confident in his team's roster for next season. In fact, coach Stevens feels that several members of the squad, even those closer to the end of the bench, are good enough to be starters for other teams.
Stevens said as much on Chris Mannix's podcast for Yahoo Sports, and the Celtics coach is right. The Celtics do have loads of talented reserves, and with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward expected to make their returns from injury this season, it seems the sky is the limit (h/t CelticsLife.com).
“[The Celtics have] eight, nine, maybe 10 guys that are starters,” Stevens said.
Having so many gifted players on the roster could be a challenge for Stevens, but he says his team recognizes the ultimate goal and is willing to make sacrifices along the way.
“I do think our guys have a recognition overall that [starting is] not what it’s about,” Stevens said. “It’s about trying to be the best that we can be collectively. If we all do what we do to the best of our ability, it’ll benefit everybody individually. You only get so many chances to be a part of a special group. We’re pretty fortunate to be in this position, so we need to take advantage of it.”
Stevens is recognized as one of the best coaches in today's NBA — for good reason. Often times, his tactics catch opposing sides off guard. All things considered, he does a great job of keeping everyone on the team involved — starter or not.
“Marcus Smart has come off the bench for two years, and I’ve never considered him to be a non-starter,” Stevens added. “We’re going to have different lineups out there, and everybody is going to get a different opportunity and lots of opportunities to make an impact.”
Last season, the Celtics made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. With a new challenge on the horizon, Stevens says the real challenge is coming back with even more commitment.
“I’ve been on teams that have been at the top level the year before and then really tailed off at the start of the next season,” Stevens said in closing. “The challenge is coming back and saying, ‘We’re committed to doing all of these little details again.’ There will be no steps that will be skipped. We’re not trying to be playing in April on September 26, we’re trying to be better on September 27.”
The Celtics are currently the favorite to come out of the East in 2018-19.
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