Brad Stevens Will Win Coach of the Year

At only 39-years old, Brad Stevens has already become one of the best coaches in the NBA

Brad Stevens was hired three years ago and has helped the Boston Celtics rebuild their team in an amount of time unimaginable to a lot of people. Everyone knows about Stevens success at Butler University, leading them to back-to-back national championship appearances in 2010-11. For a small school in Indiana to finish second place in March Madness two years in a row is beyond impressive. They did have help from two current NBA players, Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack, but there’s no doubt they wouldn’t have gotten there without Stevens at the helm.

Stevens is one of the best X’s and O’s coaches in the game. His understanding of the game is one of the best in the league and it’s easily seen when watching some of the amazing out-of-bounds plays he draws up for his team.

Head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, had a couple of nice things to say about Brad Stevens earlier in the season, according to ESPN’s Chris Forsberg, “I really respect what he does. I’ll still watch his Butler tape, trying to learn some stuff he did there, to be honest with you.” Popovich also added, “I really respect the hell out of him. He’s a really fine young coach, great demeanor. His team executes really well, and they’re just going to keep getting better. So I enjoy him.”

When you’re able to get praise like that from one of the best coaches in NBA history, you know you’re doing something right.

Only being a great X’s and O’s coach won’t get you all the way in the NBA. The Boston Celtics don’t have a lot of big egos on the team, however, you can also give praise to Brad Stevens for making it one of the most tightly knit locker rooms in the league. Evan Turner had a history of problems with teammates before joining the Celtics, but has not run into trouble with Boston.

Managing professional athlete’s egos is an intangible that a lot of coaches aren’t able to handle, a big reason why a lot of coaches lose control of their locker room. However, Stevens has created one of the best locker room situations in the NBA. Even when David Lee, or other players, fall in or out of the rotation, you don’t hear them complaining to the media.

In Stevens’ first season, the Celtics were a dreadful 25-57. It was a team composed of an angry Rajon Rondo, and Jeff Green as the team’s leading scorer, not a formula for success. In his second season with the team, off-season moves and a trade for Isaiah Thomas helped give Stevens a team that could compete. They finished 40-42 last season, but got swept in the first round of the playoffs by Cleveland.

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Stevens now has the Celtics at 36-25, third in the Eastern Conference, and on an 11-game home winning streak. Without a doubt, Boston is one of the most overachieving teams in the league, making him a prime candidate for this award.

Some other possible candidates for this award are…

Gregg Popovich is always a possibility for this award, but the Spurs are always among the NBA’s elite. Plus, they were expected to be even better this season with the addition of LaMarcus Aldridge.

Steve Kerr missed too much off the season to win it, even if the Warriors break the 72-game record. Also, not to take anything away from Kerr, but an assistant coach, Luke Walton, broke the record for most wins to start a season. That team is as good as they get, his team hasn’t overachieved like the Celtics.

Rick Carlisle of the Dallas Mavericks has been one of the best coaches in the league for a while now. The Mavericks have been decimated with injuries this season, especially at the beginning of the year, but are still sixth in the Western Conference. Although, with their off-season additions they were expected to be in this position.

The biggest threat to take the award from Stevens is Terry Stotts of the Portland Trail Blazers. In a rebuilding year, he has guided his team to a 33-28 record, tied for sixth in the Western Conference. He has worked with almost an entirely new starting lineup this season, yet has still seen excellent results. Plus, the Blazers are one of the hottest teams in the league right now.

When it comes down to it, no team has overachieved like the Celtics have this season. The system that Brad Stevens has implemented into Boston has worked, and has worked magic for Isaiah Thomas specifically. He has also dealt with a mediocre frontcourt, but has still managed to get production out of guys like Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk.

The Boston Celtics hit the jackpot when they were able to lure Stevens from the college ranks a couple of years ago. The question wasn’t whether Stevens could coach at the NBA level or not, it was how quickly could the Celtics improve and rebuild? They’re past that stage now and are in prime position to make some noise in the playoffs.

Next: Boston Celtics Improving Everywhere They Need

It would be crazy to think Stevens could be the recipient of this award considering he has never won a playoff game. However, he has been able to find a rotation that works with a roster whose best player is 5’9″. If Stevens and the Celtics continue to grow through the years, there’s no doubt there will be more of these awards heading his way. He’s a championship-caliber coach who only needs a couple more players to get the job done.

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