The Celtics lost to the Warriors in the NBA finals. There is a time and a place for this.
Brad Stevens had a simple message for his player after the Celtics star had a bad NBA Finals.
After Boston's season ended with a loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA's championship round, Stevens told him to take a break. Get some rest."
The guy gave everything he had. You can look at the minutes and the games. He's a superstar that doesn't want to sit. He would like to play all the time. He would be the first to say that he would like to have some of those moments back, but there were other factors that contributed to how he played.
After being named to the All-NBA first team, the 24 year old superstar had an up and down playoffs.
Both 2-point shooting and playmaking were issues for the team as a whole in seeing Boston fall just short of its goals. Stevens said that the team wouldn't have gotten to where it is now without the help of both Jaylen Brown and Tatum.
On the road in Milwaukee in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Stevens pointed out that there was proof of that.
"Obviously, we're all subjective in every moment and react emotionally, but when you start looking at it objectively and historically, what Jayson and Jaylen have done in the playoffs, historically at their ages, israrified air." Even though he didn't play his best series, there's no chance we're there without him and all of his great play.
I remember all of the times. In person and with the Celtics, Game 6 in Milwaukee was one of the best games I have ever seen. We would have had this discussion a month and a half ago if that performance hadn't happened.
Stevens was talking about how Boston fell short in the playoffs and what the Celtics need to do in order to improve. What are the two areas he focused on? There is more consistency in bench scoring and play making.
Stevens was quick to point out that the Celtics were able to get as far as they did this season thanks to a unique combination of size and flexibility, and that, as Boston looks to improve this summer, the Celtics have to stay aware of those strengths.
Stevens thinks we need to walk a fine line. I don't think teams are strong. The way teams work together are not stable. When you find one that's successful, which we did this year on the defensive end of the floor and when we were at our best sharing the ball, those things are fragile. Adding doesn't mean you aren't taking something from the group.
He said that no Celtics players, including Robert Williams III, who dealt with left knee soreness throughout the playoffs, will need surgery.
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