Brad Stevens is respected by the Very Best
Brad Stevens has the best the NBA has to offer praising him again
It is truly remarkable how well Brad Stevens has built up his reputation in such a short time in the NBA. The Boston Celtics gave him all the confidence with the massive first contract, and the way players have rallied around him and want to play for him is a great testament to the impact he is already having.
Stevens has also been showered with praise by some of the best coaches in the NBA, and this time it is arguably the best coach we have ever seen in Gregg Popovich praising Stevens.
The Celtics got their best victory of the season against the Spurs, and Popovich had some great words for Stevens around the game.
Popovich had this to say about the young head coach in anticipation of their game on Monday night: (Via MassLive)
"He’s very intelligent. And intelligence is fine, but if it doesn’t come along with incisiveness, judgment and an emotional maturity, it doesn’t do you much good. And he has all of those things. And that’s large. Not that many people have that. It shows in the way he handles people and the way he coaches. He’s going to be a great one before it’s all over with. And he’s already a hell of a coach"
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Nobody knows what it takes to consistency be successful in the NBA better than Popovich, and he is identifying some of the best qualities in Stevens right now.
Stevens does not need the validation, and his results can speak for itself, but to hear Popovich describe him this way is quite special.
Popovich captures part of Stevens that already make him great, while recognizing that he will continue to get better.
It has ben said time and time again, Stevens is the best asset on the Celtics, and it is not crazy to say that right now.
The way he has turned this season around so quickly is one of his finest performances, and it already has everyone excited about a season that was thought to be lost after the Gordon Hayward injury.
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There may not be a coach was was universally respected as quickly as Stevens, and after what Popovich had to say about him, there is absolutely no arguing about his ability to be one of the elite coaches in the NBA for a generation.