Boston Celtics: Brad Stevens Wants More Aggressiveness
Brad Stevens is looking for his starting unit to be more aggressive when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities
One of the most amazing thing about Brad Stevens is his ability to know exactly what he needs for the talent he has to perform their best. The Boston Celtics have been looked at as overachievers every time they have success with Stevens because of a depleted talent level. Stevens knew exactly how his team needed to play on offense and on defense to make up for their biggest problems, and it has always worked.
The Celtics now have the talent to no longer be considered overachievers when they are successful, but Stevens will not change his approach. The starting unit has looked even better than anticipated so far in preseason, and Stevens is still looking how to adapt in order to get more out of his talent.
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The Celtics had phenomenal ball movement last year, and was arguably the strongest aspect of there offense. The Celtics used other things, but without ball movement there was relatively no offensive success for the Celtics because of their lack of finishers.
Despite that, Stevens had this to say about what his starters need to do (Via Chris Forsberg of ESPN): “And I just think everybody is looking maybe one pass too many at times. But I’d rather dial it back than turn it up. Like I think that, ultimately, those guys are trying to share the ball to the point where [at Monday’s practice] I thought they passed up a few really good shots”.
The Celtics have proven that they are capable and willing passers, but Stevens knows they have more talent that can be used. Stevens wants to see the ball moving, but he does not want them to sacrifice any of their pace. Stevens does not want them to slow down because of longer half court sets. Aggressiveness as a shooter and a distributor is what allowed Isaiah Thomas to flourish so much on offense last year for the Celtics. Right now, it appears as though the Celtics are a little off balance, and Stevens wants to see them looking to capitalize on more opportunities.
The Celtics have a lot of young players that are continuing to develop, and Al Horford could then make them one of the most improved starting units in the NBA. The Celtics may have some tentativeness after how poorly they shot last year, but they need to put that behind them.
The Celtics have players they trust at every position in the starting lineup. They may want to keep Amir Johnson away from the three point line, but everyone else is a threat from all over the court. The Celtics look to attack in any way possible and they cannot be hesitant when there is an opportunity.
One of the most impressive things about the Celtics last year was their ability to overcome poor shooting. They have figured out ways to make up for a lot of missed shots, and Stevens will never be displeased with a player that is looking to attack. A missed shot is better than a passed up opportunity right now.
Even Marcus Smart, a sub 30 percent three point shooter, was given the green light last year. The Celtics need to continue to use their ball movement to generate the opportunities, but capitalizing on as many of those opportunities as possible is what can elevate their offense.
It is a good sign when the coach’s main complaint is that the team is passing too much. No matter what, passing will always be essential to the Celtics’ offense, and they clearly have instilled that unselfish mentality.
Stevens knows that Thomas will always have that aggressiveness, but it remains to be seen with the rest of them. Thomas was tied for the league lead in drives to the rim last season and he has proven he will do what is best for the offense. This could finally be the season Thomas gets legitimate help around him on the offensive end, and Stevens wants to see each of them have the best possible impact.
The Celtics have a lot of room to improve on the offensive end from last season, and that will be an important thing to look for during the rest of the preseason and into the regular season. The Celtics had a great offensive system last year, but adjustments can always be expected with Stevens.
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The chemistry the Celtics have already established is something to get very excited about. With Stevens leading the way and setting there tone, it would be foolish to doubt that he will get his players playing exactly how they need to.