Boston Celtics: Pass or pursue on 2 recent head coaching free agents

Boston Celtics HC option #2: Steve Clifford

The other head coach canned over the weekend, Steve Clifford, was let go not because of a poor coaching job down in Orlando. In fact, he was able to get the Magic over the hump in the Eastern Conference playoff picture two years in a row after leading the Charlotte Hornets to their best season since becoming a franchise again in 2015-16 and leading the Bobcats to the playoffs in their final season of existence.

This past season was a worst-case scenario for Orlando, losing future franchise pillars Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz to season-ending injuries. Isaac was lost to a torn ACL during the Magic’s fruitless stint in the Lake Buena Vista bubble that ended in a gentlemen’s sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks. Fultz was lost for the season in the second week of the season, tearing his ACL as well against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Once the team lost those two, and Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic were dealt at the trade deadline, Clifford was a lame-duck coach on borrowed time. Looking to start anew with another rebuild after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018, it was not shocking to see Orlando let Clifford go.

It would be surprising to see Stevens not interview Clifford considering the work he has done to get to where he is today. Starting at Adelphi in the Division II ranks, Clifford has come a long way to become a reliable professional coach that elevates whatever talent he has. Even in 2020-21, Clifford was able to coach up Cole Anthony to a likely NBA All-Rookie first-team finish.

With the Jays in tow–and whoever else Stevens is able to surround them with–Clifford could finally have a roster capable of going deep in the postseason.

Verdict: Pursue