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Brad Stevens Boston Celtics’ MVP

By Joshua Bateman

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MVP traditionally stands for most valuable player, but in this case it is most valuable person. The Boston Celtics had one of the best coaches in the league in Doc Rivers and with the Celtics bringing in the youngest coach in the NBA it was a monumental task to find improvement.

Mar 29, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers watches from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics in the second half at TD Garden. The Clippers defeated the Celtics 119-106. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Well, Danny Ainge pulled it off. Brad Stevens‘ record in no way reflects what he means to the Boston Celtics. It is not just that Stevens runs an exciting and fluid offensive system. It is also that after two of the hardest years in the history of the Celtics, Stevens has everyone on the Celtics and pretty much everyone in the league buying into his system.

It truly is remarkable the way Stevens is already regarded in the NBA. It is not just Celtics fans reaching for something positive because you will never hear anybody say anything negative about Brad Stevens.

You can take any one individual player on the Celtics, and if you compare their value to the team to Stevens’ is, its not even close. Forget about not even being close, it is not even a conversation.

What Brad Stevens accomplished this season is one of the most remarkable achievements in the NBA.

Apr 3, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens watches from the sideline as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half at TD Garden. The Bucks defeated the Celtics 110 to 101. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

One area Stevens has already emerged as a top coach in the NBA is plays out of timeouts. It is amazing how many different ways Stevens has managed to get production out of timeouts. Whether it is getting Evan Turner two game winning shots or any number of timely plays to combat runs, Stevens draws it up with the best of them.

Stevens also took a starting lineup whose top scorer averaged under 15 points per game, and made them one of the most fluid and exciting offensive teams in the NBA. Isaiah Thomas did put in 19 points per game off the bench but when he was not creating shots the Celtics relied entirely on ball movement and efficient shooting.

The Celtics limited their turnovers and shot well in all phases of the game.

With one of the least talented rosters in the NBA the Celtics still managed to rank 13th with 101.4 points per game. When I say one of the least talented rostersthat is based on the fact that, they were fresh off of one of the worst seasons in franchise history and then followed that up by trading their two most talented players in Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green.

The Celtics were also a top 10 team in limiting their turnovers. Stevens puts his players in the best possible offensive situation and ensures that no one player has to carry too much of a load. The Celtics limit their turnovers with efficient passing and very little hero ball.

Apr 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger (7) reacts after making a basket during the second half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

To add a little more perspective to the 101.4 points per game, the celtics did by getting just 52 points per game from their starters. Stevens would use literally every single resources available to him and he would find a way to get them to contribute. And once Stevens got a little stability with his roster, the Celtics had the second best record in the eastern conference.

If the Celtics lacked talent on their starting lineup (Isaiah Thomas aside) that also means they have very little talent on the bench. Stevens took the likes of Jonas Jerebko and Luigi Datome who were purely trade throw ins and he turned them into better than 40% three point shooters (also have to give a ton of credit to Ainge for finding these hidden gems).

The Celtics seemed crazy to give Stevens as big of an initial contract as they did but you can guarantee that they have absolutely no regrets what so ever. It is only a matter of time before Stevens gets significantly more talented players and with his ability to get the absolute most out of his players there is no doubt it is only a matter of time before he turns the Celtics into contenders.

Isaiah Thomas was probably the Celtics’ most valuable player this season but when he struggled tremendously in the post season and when he went down with an injury the Celtics still maintained their success. You can probably remove any three players from the Celtics and that still may not be as big of a loss if they were to see Stevens go.

The Celtics have an incredibly bright future and the number one, two and three reasons why is Brad Stevens.

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