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Little wonder that Brad Stevens’ stock as a Coach of the Year candidate has heated up down the stretch, and that was drilled home when Jaylen Brown’s buzzer beater Wednesday delivered a 97-94 win at Utah with three-tenths of a second left.
All of these injuries and absences have highlighted Stevens’ ability to rub two nickels together for a dollar.
So does Stevens deserve to be the NBA’s coach of the year?
“Without a doubt,” an understandably biased Brown said.
“Just what we’ve been able to accomplish so shorthanded. Kyrie missing an extensive amount of time, Al missing time, I missed time, Smart’s missed time. A lot of our starters have missed over 10 games and we’ve still got 50-plus wins. If anyone deserves it, it should be Brad.”
Herald: Brad Stevens making strong case to be NBA’s Coach of the Year
With the number of miracles the Celtics have pulled off lately, Brad has surged back into the discussion about Coach of the Year. Chuck wrote about it earlier this week, but then the Utah game happened and the debate intensified. While Brad definitely deserves the award, and has his share of supporters, I’m pessimistic about his chances.
Why? Because it’s a mystery as to what voters want from one season to the next, and how they decide who’s award-worthy. Take last season. The Celts surprised everyone and finished with the best record and top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Brad received some credit, but the narrative was that the Cs were the “worst top seed ever” and only got there because the Cavs didn’t care about the regular season.
Meanwhile, in Miami, the Heat were 11-30 in the first half of the season and 30-11 in the second half. The same person, Eric Spoelstra, coached both halves. The Heat missed the playoffs.
Yet, as we know, not only was Brad not named COY, he wasn’t even one of the NBA’s three finalists. But Spoelstra was. The coach whose team was horrible for half a season got more buzz than the coach with 53 wins. “Look how Spo turned their season around!” I’m still waiting for a good explanation of the logic.
Contrast that to this year. When the Cs won 16 straight after losing Hayward, Brad was a mortal lock to win COY. But it’s a long season, and momentum shifts. The Raptors overtook Boston in the standings, and now it seems Dwane Casey is the name mentioned most often (outside Boston) as deserving of COY.
The only way it might change is if the Celts beat the Raps twice in the next five days.
Then again, maybe Mike D’Antoni of the NBA-leading Rockets will win again, even though he’s got the likely MVP in James Harden and a roster stocked by the probable Exec of the Year, Daryl Morey.
In any case, winning the most games apparently means something this time around.
In these discussions, we must always go back to 2007-08. After winning only 24 games the season before, Doc Rivers was given a brand-new roster with worlds of talent. The Cs started 8-0 and were the league’s best from wire to wire, finishing with 66 wins. Doc was masterful in managing that squad’s many strong and volatile personalities.
Did he win COY? Hell, no. It went to Byron Scott, whose New Orleans team (with Chris Paul) overachieved to 56 wins. That was one of those times when winning the most didn’t matter so much.
The net result is that I no longer have any expectations about who will win awards. The criteria are so random and erratic that I’ve given up. Brad deserves it, but he probably won’t get it. I hope the voters prove me wrong. But I doubt it.
Related – SB Nation: How the Boston Celtics keep winning despite non-stop injuries
On Page 2: Danny says ‘enough’
Although Ainge acknowledges he has great respect for Ray Allen, the Celtics president of basketball operations on Thursday shot down the former Boston sharpshooter’s claim that the C’s nearly traded him and Rajon Rondo to the Phoenix Suns in 2009.
Allen made the claim in his new book, “From the Outside: My Journey Through Life and the Game I Love,” saying Rondo’s issues with Boston’s front office almost caused Ainge to trade both players to Phoenix for big man Amar’e Stoudemire.
“Oh my gosh. I love Ray, and I’ll always be grateful for Ray and all that he did for the Celtics, but that is absolutely not true,” Ainge said on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich.” “And I don’t know where that’s coming from, but I just wish that these guys would get themselves back together and make some peace.
[…]
“I don’t have any idea where that came from,” Ainge said of Allen’s claim about the supposed 2009 near-trade. “I don’t remember any tension there — there was no tension there — and I was never even close to trading either one of them to Phoenix.”
NESN: Danny Ainge Shoots Down Ray Allen’s Claim About Rajon Rondo Near-Trade
It’s 2018 and we still can’t stop analyzing the interpersonal relationships of the 2008 NBA champs. With Ray’s book tour – he made an appearance in Boston yesterday – and his recent absence from the Paul Pierce number retirement, it’s all risen to the surface once again.
But let’s look again at Danny’s key quote above:
“I just wish that these guys would get themselves back together and make some peace.”
Yes. Please. Make it stop! Everyone has their minds made up about whether Ray is a good guy or a traitor, and nothing will ever change. Can the players get over it? And can all we just stop talking about it?
P.S. While I’m asking for the impossible, I’ll take a MegaMillions winning ticket, too.
Related – ESPN Boston: Ray Allen was anxious to speak in Boston, hopes fans remember title he helped win for city | Boston.com: Ray Allen responds to the backlash surrounding his new book
And, finally… Another day, another major NBA injury
Breaking: Joel Embiid will undergo surgery to repair an orbital fracture of his left eye. Pending the results, Embiid could return to play in 2-4 weeks, a source told @ZachLowe_NBA. pic.twitter.com/ALPMSMrei1
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 30, 2018
The Rest of the Links:
NBC Sports Boston: Terry Rozier’s clutch outing shouldn’t be overlooked
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