I definitely think he should have received votes, but this narrative by some he is so much better than Casey is without any basis.
***NBA Playoffs: Finals Thread***
- Thread starter JimboBBN
- Start date
I kind of agree. I don’t think there is much of a doubt who the better coach is at the moment and that gap could be widening at the moment but Casey is a really good coach and has always had good games coaching against Stevens and the Celtics.
I'd love to hear your comments on this denniden, as you seem like one of the more rational NBA and Celtic fans who can form his own opinion.
Is Stevens a very good coach? IMO, yes, but that "more with less" narrative has gone way too far and many have said he is "so much better" than casey (or Lue).
No one has been able to refute this.....I maintain even without Kyrie/Hayward, Boston is much more talented than Toronto. Of the top 5 among both teams, I'd say 3 are Celtics - Horford, Tatum, Brown, Derozan, Lowry. Of the top 9, 5 are celtics - add Smart, JV, Ibaka and Rozier. Then add Morris next, so it's 6 of 10 Celtics.
Then the answer is often....but look how great Stevens made Brown and Tatum. OK, fine, he made the #3 picks in the draft into very good players. How about Casey turning later picks - Lowry and Derozan - into all stars?
In their careers, neither has gotten by Lebron, neither has yet to play in the Finals, both have been the 1 seed in the East. Stevens, of course, could change that with a win over the cavs.
Compared to Lue? Anyone who brings accomplishments into it has to say Lue. I wouldn't as he has Lebron. I have no doubt with stevens as the coach here we'd have been in the last 3 Finals.
anon_0astpxev9h4gk
Well-Known Member
I knew the Celtics would be ready but didn’t expect what happened.
Love the narrative from the media. Many saying the Cavs weren't ready and had no energy. Great. If that's true (it's not), just be ready and try in Game 2 and it's a W.
A reminder the Cavs lost by 33 to GS, then beat them by 30 in the next game in 2016. They hung 48 in a quarter against GS but lost the next game.
Weird the Cavs blew their doors off 3 times in Boston last year and no one put any blame on the coach.
Stevens did what many do yesterday....tried to limit Lebron. When the cavs make 4-26 threes, no doubt that will work.
I'd like to do something completely crazy, and credit the Celtics players for hitting their shots and playing well as the reason their team won the game as much as anything.
A reminder the Cavs lost by 33 to GS, then beat them by 30 in the next game in 2016. They hung 48 in a quarter against GS but lost the next game.
Weird the Cavs blew their doors off 3 times in Boston last year and no one put any blame on the coach.
Stevens did what many do yesterday....tried to limit Lebron. When the cavs make 4-26 threes, no doubt that will work.
I'd like to do something completely crazy, and credit the Celtics players for hitting their shots and playing well as the reason their team won the game as much as anything.
The NBA is such a weird animal. I feel like we see it in almost any series, now. Blowout after blowout, giving one one day and taking one the next.
I doubt many people are. The folks that are doing that are probably the same ones that wrote them off after game one against Indiana or before they even tipped against the Raptors. I do think the Celtics are a different beast than both of those teams, though.
No doubt they are, but you'd never know it from the "more with less" narrative applied to Stevens.
And as I'm sure you know.....I never implied this would be easy for the Cavs. One guy here did, I know, and he'll just blame it on the coach, GM or owner if they lose and claim he was right....as we saw after game 1.
I know we have a lot of Ohioans and diehard Cavs/LBJ fans around here. Makes for a fun NBA season with the discussion!
This might make me selfish, but I would have loved to see Kyrie play in this series. Just would have made the drama that much better.
As someone who roots for Bron, I can't write this off as whatever-it's-Game-1. Stevens is too good for the Cs to lay an egg in Game 2. He knows Bron is going to the rack nonstop this next game, and he'll have his guys ready for it. Getting an entire NBA roster to buy into a system isn't easy, and Stevens seems to have accomplished this, rather quickly. The Cavs are in big trouble, imo.
Really tough night for LBJ.
5 - 16
0 - 5 from three
7 turnovers
-32 (32!!) while on the court, by far the worst of any Cav
5 - 16
0 - 5 from three
7 turnovers
-32 (32!!) while on the court, by far the worst of any Cav
Past performance cannot predict future results in all cases, but we've seen this a number of times. They were blown out in Game 1 by Indiana. GS blew them out in 2016 in game 2. Guessing he dropped games early in Miami.
The Cavs team last year had Kyrie and this year’s Celtics team is much better than last year’s version.
Look I don’t get your point...the Celtics are very talented but they’re still overachieving by reaching the Conference Finals. Most advanced projections like 538 had them losing in the 1st Round after they lost Irving for the season.
Brad Stevens is constantly pushing the right buttons. It’s quite clear to most NBA fans that he’s a basketball prodigy. Why don’t you just accept it?
when have I ever once said - and I've probably written this a dozen times so maybe we could pin it? - he is not a good or even great coach?
Only narrative I disagree with is he is far and away better than a guy like casey.....and so far no one has offered evidence to the contrary other than because others say he is.
You are aware Lue also lost Kyrie, it would seem, yet if they reach the Finals he wont get the more with less thrust upon him (nor should he). In fact, he will get zero credit.
Lue also has his team remade completely midseason, but never mind that, right?
I think Lue is a tough comparison to Stevens. Stevens has never had LeBron. Lue, for better or worse, gets overshadowed by the best player on the planet. He doesn't get credit for them winning games, LeBron does. He does take his fair share of criticism when they lose, which is unfair. I think he's in a much tougher spot than Stevens is. That said, Stevens without Kyrie AND LeBron has been nothing short of unbelievable.
Pretty much agree. I just think it's taken for granted it's possible Brown and Tatum are simply exceptional talents. Does Stevens help that? Probably, but also possible they'd excel with anyone.
And I'd say the true NBA fans here know that Horford is an exceptional talent, as well. Not a superstar like Lebron, but I believe a 4-5 time all star and very smart player.
No doubt you are spot on about Lue. I mean, how many fans have said their GM did an awful job, this is their worst team with Lebron (which I don't believe), etc, yet will blame Lue if they do anything other than possibly beat the best team ever to win the title?
It’s the best position to be in, IMO. Celtics have been written off since 6 minutes into the season. I’d be thrilled if certain people were writting off Cleveland. If I were a Cavs fan.
Amen, brother.
Sounds like you are saying Cavs have no shot......someone get this to the cavs' bulletin board!!
Lue has been great. It’s really remarkable that Boston and Cleveland are in the ECF. The turnover of the rosters since this time last year is insane. A bad coach could not do that. IMO.
I agree with you about Tatum and Brown just being exceptional talents but the age thing makes what they are doing very impressive. They are not just role players either. That says more about Brown and Tatum and their work ethic than it does about coaching. (Though good coaching plays a role and being in the right situation is enourmous in pro sports) Brad Stevens was asked today about all the praise he is getting and he gave all the credit to the players. He feels the same way you have expressed in the last page or so. I agree as well. I’m glad Boston has Brad Stevens.
Very well said. Guessing you know none of my comments were meant to downgrade Stevens, as I do think he's a very good coach.
No doubt he deserves some props for getting what he has out of Tatum and Brown. I found it foolish so many thought he was the one who was repsonsible, but did not credit a guy like Casey who turned the 9th and 22nd picks in the draft into all stars. That was my only beef.....those who thought he was so much better than other coaches and there was no comparison.
Never though for a second you were being negative about Stevens. Given his comments about the praise calling it “silly,” I’d say he agrees as well. He knows it’s a players league.
do you know where I can find those exact quotes of his......you should see the comments I get on the football board about this.
One guy said Lue has no idea about defense. I reminded him the cavs held GS to 89 in a somewhat important Game 7. He said I give him too much credit for the Finals win. That it was the players and Lue was the reason they were down 3-1.
Typical Blame the Coach guy. That one cracked me up.
