Brad Stevens gets a lot of credit for having a strong X’s and O’s game.
But when it comes to methods to motivate beyond asking his players, “to be the best version of themselves,” Stevens’ approach could use some work.
However, he may have channeled his inner-Phil Jackson with these words.
“We’ll do our best to get ready for Brooklyn,” Stevens said after Boston’s play-in win over Washington which locked up (or sealed their fate depending on how you look at it) as the No. 7 seed with a first-round date with Brooklyn. “They’re the best of the best. As a fan of the N.B.A., it’s hard to see those guys losing. We’re going to have to play great and play great together.”
While some like ex-Celtic Kendrick Perkins may see Stevens’ comments coming one step short of throwing in the towel before the fight actually begins, those words may provide the spark that no one – especially Brooklyn – would see coming.
If this team has an ounce of pride in them, they’ll use Stevens’ comments as added fuel to play tougher, harder, smarter, more competitive.
This season has been a season-long search by Stevens to figure out and find ways to get more out of his players, to get them to play with a greater sense of urgency more often.
And while those comments made have been for public consumption, they better resonate with his players. Because Stevens’ words put them in position to navigate into one of two lanes.
They can either push back with their play and compete like the Brad Stevens-coached teams of the past, or they can play the role of a pushover and prove Stevens’ words were accurate.
The outcome of these games doesn’t matter as much as how competitive these Celtics prove to be.
While Danny Ainge has indicated that most of the team’s current core will be back next season, there will be some notable roster changes next season.
For a number of Celtic bench players, this series could very well make-or-break their chances of sticking with Boston – or the NBA for that matter.
That in itself should bring about a greater sense of urgency and better play for a team that has done very little of that all season.
WILD CARD KEMBA
When Kemba Walker takes the floor tonight, it’ll only be the second time this season he has faced the Brooklyn Nets. And in the first encounter, a 12-point loss for Boston, Walker had just 11 points on 5-for-12 shooting. But it was also the first game after the All-Star break, a time when most players are a bit rusty. However, if the Nets are banking on that Kemba Walker showing up tonight, they will be very disappointed.
In Walker’s last four regular-season games, he averaged 29.8 points while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 45.9 percent from 3-point range.
And in Boston’s 118-110 play-in win over Washington, Walker had 29 points on 10-for-24 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
The Celtics kept Walker on a load management plan all season, resulting in him playing in a career-low 43 games. However, Walker’s play down the stretch gives the Celtics hope that he’ll be impactful in this series, certainly more than he was when he faced Brooklyn earlier this season.
When asked about whether the team’s load management program for him worked, Walker replied, “It ain’t over; It ain’t over. The work isn’t over. Until this thing ends, I don’t want to jinx anything. But I am feeling good.”
GOOD OR BAD FOURNIER? WHO WILL SHOW UP?
The Celtics have no real feel for what they are going to get out of Evan Fournier against the Brooklyn Nets. After finishing the regular season strong with 15 or more points in each of his last seven regular-season games played, Fournier was an absolute dud in Boston’s 118-110 play-in win over Washington.
Fournier logged 36 minutes against the Wizards, scoring just eight points on 3-for-11 shooting to go with six rebounds and four assists. Of course Jayson Tatum's 50-point night certainly had an impact on his total numbers, but the issue for him was the lack of efficiency which is something that has to change if the Celtics are to have any shot at knocking off the Nets in Game 1. Celtics fans have to hope Fournier will be better against Brooklyn in the playoffs than he was during the regular season when he appeared in three games while averaging 13.7 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.0 rebounds.
HERE COMES THE SIXTH MAN … FANS
Having played all season with a limited number of fans or none at all, the Celtics will get at least one game in the playoffs with what should look and feel like a normal, TD Garden-like, foaming-at-the-mouth fanbase.
The Celtics announced that their Game 4 matchup against the Nets at the TD Garden will be at near capacity. At that point in the series, having a fan base close to the TD Garden seating capacity of 18,624, will bode well in a game that may very well determine if Boston’s season is over if Brooklyn does the expected which is to come into that game having won the first three.