Boston Celtics: Pass or pursue on 2 recent head coaching free agents
Boston Celtics HC option #1: Terry Stotts
Recently fired Blazers coach Terry Stotts has hit the HC market after Damian Lillard shared a cryptic Instagram post wondering when preparation would meet opportunity. Clearly frustrated by Portland’s first-round exit in six games at the hands of Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, Lillard essentially forced the franchise’s hand in making wholesale changes to appease him.
Ultimately, it’s unknown whether or not that will work. Lillard reportedly wanted fellow Oakland-born former All-Star PG Jason Kidd to be the main man in the City of Roses, but the Blazers are reportedly not on Kidd’s radar.
That means Lillard could be inching towards a departure from Portland for the purpose of finding greener pastures and a greater chance at winning an NBA Championship.
Enter Boston.
Jayson Tatum is as good of a recruiter as one could possibly need in this situation–even if he insists he won’t be part of any decision-making this offseason–but the Cs themselves could make a move for Kidd and suddenly become a very appealing option for the league’s best floor general.
Making a move for Stotts helps nothing on the Lillard front and, despite his 402-318 in his nine seasons as Blazers coach and the fact that he is the second-winningest coach in Portland’s history–including a current NBA-best eight consecutive playoff appearances–Stotts’ first unsuccessful coaching stint in Atlanta makes one wonder if Lillard was the primary reason his winning percentage was high and his playoff winning percentage was pristine this past decade.