Green Teamers who were hoping the Boston Celtics would make notable changes this offseason probably didn’t appreciate the message president of basketball operation Brad Stevens send out during his end-of-season press conference at the Auerbach Center on Thursday.
Because while Stevens expressed a hint of disappointment in how Boston’s season ended in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat, he also essentially confirmed much would be the same for the 2023-24 campaign.
“The goal was not attained, so I look at it as how can we be a little bit better. And yet, a lot of the times when we were playing, you could see that there’s a lot there, right? It’s not far,” Stevens told reporters, per CLNS Media. “And I think, again, we all ride the rollercoaster, and I certainly do, of the playoffs. But you also, from my perspective, have to sit up here and say, it’s really hard to be in the mix. And so we just got to figure out how to get a little bit better. But stay in the mix. We have a lot of foundational pieces that are good.”
He added: “I don’t want to overreact. We have an incredibly resilient group. They’re tough. With their backs against the wall, they’re amazing. And at the same time we came up short.”
Stevens confirmed head coach Joe Mazzulla would return for a second season, despite some calling for his job during the postseason. Mazzulla was consistently criticized during the regular season, as well, but his inexperience was on display in the playoffs when the lights were brightest. Stevens said the Celtics can now judge Mazzulla’s one season in dog years, given what he’s been through. It’s why Stevens believes Mazzulla remains the right man for the job.
Whether it’s the right or wrong approach, well, that’s up for debate. Some might think it makes no sense to split up an All-NBA duo like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Others like Kendrick Perkins, however, will disagree. On another hand, many will think Marcus Smart and the Celtics could benefit from going their separate ways. Others will disagree with that, too.
Stevens, however, seemed to get his point across in more times than one.
