Boston Celtics: 3 reasons Brad Stevens is right for Cs front office

Reason #2 Boston Celtics nailed Stevens promotion: Recruiting specialty

Coming from the college realm, Brad Stevens knows a thing or two about the various aspects of recruiting. Whether it be a player for his team or a coach on his staff, Stevens saw it all during his 12-year career at Butler.

Stevens took a Horizon League program to the National Championship in consecutive seasons, losing to two college basketball blue bloods in UCONN and Duke in the National Championship game. His work with the Bulldogs in the late 2000’s led to a Big East invitation in the 2010’s after a one-season stint in the A-10.

That took a herculean effort on the recruiting trail. He was able to land a pair of 4-star recruits in Khyle Marshall and Kellen Dunham. Then there was the hidden gem, Gordon Hayward, that Stevens molded into an NBA lottery pick.

Stevens has had plenty of time to build personal relationships, so there is hope his skills from the Butler days translate to being an executive in the NBA. There’s a chance that he gets some recruiting help from the likes of Marcus Smart (if he isn’t traded) and Jaylen Brown with Jayson Tatum planning on taking a backseat. 

Either way, the recruiter in Stevens will have to be awakened in his new role in the Boston Celtics front office.