Boston Celtics: Time to stop making excuses for Brad Stevens
By Sam Minton
Thanks to their poor play, the Boston Celtics are facing the wrath of Boston sports media. They are underperforming and deserve criticism. This is especially the case for Brad Stevens.
Stevens was set up to succeed. They have two of the best young stars in the NBA today along with some quality role players and even some up and coming rookies.
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If you have players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown you shouldn’t be battling to simply get above .500. The Celtics should be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference if not the entire NBA.
So recent comments from Boston’s front office are rather concerning. Danny Ainge has already made excuses for Stevens saying that this Celtics roster can’t win a championship.
That seems to be a lie considering just how far Boston went in the playoffs down in the bubble in 2020. They clearly have a talent to make a run in the playoffs.
The latest dose of excuses comes from Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck who appeared on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Wednesday and once again seemed to take Stevens side over the players.
Why the young guy’s excuse doesn’t work for the Boston Celtics.
It might surprise some people, but Tatum and Brown should be relied upon. They are capable of being leaders on this team.
The NBA is seeing players like Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Zion Williamson takeover games for teams and be key contributors for them. Asking Tatum and Brown to lead Boston to a championship isn’t asking for the world. If the duo wants to reach their full potential this is simply something that they need to do.
It seems as though Celtics fans are putting training wheels on these guys when really they should be handed the keys to the car. The time is now for Brown and Tatum to start winning championships.
Boston also has veterans such as Kemba Walker and Tristan Thompson who need to start pulling their weight.
Stevens deserves criticism for cultivating a poor locker room and not having players ready for each and every game. He needs to start instilling in players that they can’t take their foot off the gas pedal.
So let’s stop making excuses for Brad Stevens. Now is the time for him to step up as the head coach. If he fails to do so, Boston needs to reevaluate if he is the right man for the job.