Steve Kerr: Boston Celtics are ‘dialed in’ and rising in the East
The Boston Celtics continue to get legitimate praise from Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Steve Kerr has the Boston Celtics on his mind and rightfully so. Not only has the team won 13 straight games following an 0-2 start, they are a team that is set up for the future.
Ahead of the showdown between his Golden State Warriors and the Celtics on Thursday night, the two-time NBA World champion coach is impressed with how Boston has played to start the 2017 NBA season.
"“They’re dialed in,” Kerr told the media on Tuesday, via WEEI. “They’re well-coached, obviously. Brad Stevens is amazing.”"
Kerr’s praise of Stevens is nothing new. The Warriors coach recently labeled Boston’s head man as one of the best in the league. This time around, he is praising the team as one on the rise. Of course, the first two players that came to mind were the young duo of Jaylen Brown and rookie Jayson Tatum.
"“I think Jaylen Brown in his second year has made huge strides. They add [Jayson] Tatum, so you have another long-armed guy who can switch,” Kerr said. “And their bigs are really smart. Horford and Baynes are really sharp basketball players. They’re all on a string, they play off each other really well, they’re sound, and they’re motivated.”"
But, what about right now?
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The only problem with Steve Kerr’s praise is that he talks about the Celtics as a team to be reckoned with in the future. Problem is, they are a team to be reckoned with right now, even without Gordon Hayward. Not only do they have a great coach and young, hungry players making contributions early in their careers, they have a super star player who knows what it takes to beat the Warriors.
Kerr did recognize Kyrie Irving as “amazing,” but maybe he is underestimating just how good and ready his surrounding cast is.
He will get to see that first hand when the two hottest teams in basketball square off Thursday night. With the big foursome of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green invading the TD Garden, Irving, Tatum, Brown and Al Horford will get a chance to see how they matchup.
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It should be interesting indeed. But, it may be players like Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes who really help the Boston Celtics see how they matchup against Steve Kerr’s juggernaut team.