Many questioned the Boston Celtics decision to promote Brad Stevens from head coach to President of Basketball Operations, but it didn't take long for him to make his doubters eat their words. After the team made their first NBA Finals appearance in 12 years in Stevens' first year in the front office, any skepticism about him was quickly extinguished and has never repopulated.
Stevens' reputation as an executive has only improved since then, as his efforts helped Boston win Banner 18. There's been only one question about Stevens that didn't necessarily have to be answered at all costs, but the fact that it has should only make Celtics fans even more confident in him: Can he draft?
The answer is undoubtedly, yes.
For the record, this question remained unanswered only because Stevens traded the first three first-round picks in his possession in his first two years in the front office - trading 2021 to OKC for Al Horford, trading 2022 to San Antonio for Derrick White and trading 2023 to Indiana for Malcolm Brogdon - and it's fair to say he made the right call with the return on investment there.
Stevens didn't utilize a draft pick until 2023, and it took until 2025 for the Celtics to see any return on investment on that front, but it's been pretty eye-opening to see what Boston's draft picks have done for them.
For where Stevens picked, he's looked like a master of his craft
The Celtics' highest picks since Stevens started utilizing them - Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez - have all helped the team stay among the East's best despite losing Jayson Tatum for over half the season.
Walsh was buried on the Celtics bench his first two years in part because the team being as stacked as it was made it hard for him to break through, but once Joe Mazzulla gave him a shot, Walsh thrived. His confidence showcased his abilities as a slasher, defender, and, wouldn't you know it, a three-point shooter(?!).
Walsh hasn't played lately, but that's more a reflection of Jayson Tatum's return also meant someone had to get the axe, and it sadly happened to be him. Here's to hoping that Walsh will get more opportunities both this season and next.
Then, there's Scheierman, who has also proven to be a jack-of-all-trades wing for Boston like Walsh, but in a different way. Scheierman's not the athlete Walsh is, but his passing, rebounding, and floor-spacing has made him so valued that he etched his name in the starting lineup before Tatum re-entered the rotation.
To be fair, Scheierman became a surprisingly fun highlight reel towards the end of last season, but with everything wrapped up beforehand, many questioned if he was just a mere sideshow. Narrator: he wasn't.
Hugo may be the steal of the 2025 NBA draft
Then there's Hugo, who basically was the new Tatum in the sense that every play he made came with the response, "He's only 19!" But seriously, Hugo has been one of the most NBA-ready rookies the Celtics have ever seen. His size, defense, energy, and even his eurostep mastery make him look like he'd been doing this for years.
Even more amazing is how Stevens spotted him after he barely played for Real Madrid. All he needs is a reliable three-ball, which he's not all that bad at currently, and the Celtics have a long-term starter on their hands.
The commonality among these picks is that they were all picked late. It's rare for teams to hit a bullseye late in the draft, but Stevens clearly did for three straight years. He may not have drafted a star, but anyone who anticipates their team drafting a star that far into the draft is delusional.
Celtics fans already had every reason to believe in Stevens after the work he's done, but now he just gave them another one that cements his status as one of the best front office maestros Boston's ever seen in such a short time.