Things are different around the Boston Celtics these days. It’s not the same team of year’s past outside of its very core members, and there’s a new head of the snake in the front office and on the sidelines.
Brad Stevens definitely seems more aggressive than Danny Ainge was at least in recent seasons. We haven’t seen an all-out chess move for a pair of stars like the 2008 coup that saw both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen end up in green (and eventually holding gold) from Stevens yet, but who knows how long that will remain the case.
As for the head coach, things definitely seem to be heading in a bold new direction. Ime Udoka is no-nonsense and has carved out a reputation in the league–something Stevens didn’t do coming directly from the college ranks–and appears far more regimented.
Sure, his starters underperformed the other night, but there were little stakes in the exhibition…and his team still gutted out the victory.
Udoka is giving the Cs culture a facelift after years of disarray behind the scenes. The Houdini sees these specific hallmarks as 3 that are defining of the new era:
He’ll make adjustments game to game
Ime Udoka has a plan for the Boston Celtics game to game, but he’s not afraid to shift it if things aren’t going well.
He stressed as much, noting how the team’s implementation of his switching schemes were becoming a hindrance:
Ime Udoka said switching is “the major scheme” the Celtics have put in during training camp. It will be one of their schemes moving forward, but he said they “over emphasized” it during the preseason opener.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) October 6, 2021
Kenny Rogers said it best: you gotta know when to hold, and know when to fold em. Udoka can admit defeat and call it for what it was. The Cs made the necessary adjustments mid-game to get the job done.
When it’s all said and done, that’s what keeps your coaching seat cold no matter the means it takes to reach that end.