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Danny Ainge says Brad Stevens is the least to blame for the Boston Celtics’ struggles

By Michael James

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 21: Head Coach Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics draws a play in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 21, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 21: Head Coach Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics draws a play in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 21, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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If you’re looking for someone to blame for the Boston Celtics not living up to expectations, Danny Ainge is not allowing Brad Stevens to take the fall.

Brad Stevens’ tenure as the head coach of the Boston Celtics has gone as well as anyone could have hoped up until this season. Every team he’s had has overachieved in some sense, he has improved the team’s win total each year and came into this season as a near shoo-in Coach of the Year award winner.

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This season hasn’t gone as planned, as the Celtics’ chemistry has been questionable and the dynamic between the players and their roles has been at the forefront of Boston’s shortcomings this season. There’s an argument to blame everything on Stevens not adjusting to coaching an incredibly talented roster, but Danny Ainge is not here for it.

On 98.5 The Sports Hub Thursday morning, Ainge spoke with Toucher and Rich about who to blame for this roller coaster of a season.

Ainge said, “There’s blame to share for everybody. But I will say this. [Stevens] is the least by far of anybody that there is to blame because I know Brad is going to be prepared and I know Brad is putting in the work to do whatever he can to help this team and fix this team.

“I know that he takes more responsibility than anybody in my opinion as to the success and lack of success. He takes ownership of things he needs to do better and so anyway he’s the least of the problems that we have on our team right now.”

I realize some of you won’t take what Ainge says seriously and build your own argument that is apparently better than an NBA executive with over 35 years of experience in the league. But I’m going to do the crazy thing and believe him because there’s nothing Ainge has done to deserve anything less than the benefit of the doubt.

Next. Is it time to take Terry Rozier out of the rotation?. dark

Have the Celtics been disappointing and frustrating this year? Absolutely. They still have the highest ceiling, and they are the one team none of the other East contenders want to play before the conference finals.

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