Brad Stevens Pleased With Celtics' Improved Turnover Ratio
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Celtics may be 24-35 and currently on the outside looking in to the playoffs, but Brad Stevens isn't measuring the success of his team with just wins and losses.
The Celtics are rebuilding, and the playoffs were not an expectation heading into the 2014-15 season. Making it to the postseason would be a welcome surprise, but even if the Celtics do not make the playoffs the season will not be viewed as a complete failure. In Stevens' second year at the helm, even with a roster that was constantly in a state of flux for the first four months, his Celtics have shown improvement on both ends of the floor.
Those improvements don't always lead to a victory, but Stevens has been pleased with the baby steps his team has taken. Look no further than their turnover ratio, which ranked at the bottom of the NBA last season (14.2). This year, Boston ranks eighth with at 12.5, a number that impresses the head coach given the game of musical chairs he has had to play at point guard.
"That's a real positive, especially when you consider we've had, really, four different starting point guards during the year. Those are the guys handling it up the floor and the majority of the time," Stevens told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak and Bertrand on Friday, noting that Rajon Rondo, Evan Turner, Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas (who he considers a starting point guard) have all handled those duties. "Our primary ball handler has basically switched month to month. That's a lot of credit to them.
"When I look at progress, you not only look at from a standpoint of wins-losses, but are you making strides with those significant areas that ultimately lead to winning and you continue to build off of?" added Stevens. "Turnover percentage is a huge part of it, and to be eighth in the league is a good step."
Stevens also talked about not having Avery Bradley for the current road trip, what Jonas Jerebko has brought to the team, and how his Celtics responded to a blowout loss in Cleveland Wednesday night:
