Brad Stevens Says Marcus Smart, Celtics Must Play With More Poise
BOSTON (CBS) –Brad Stevens says guard Marcus Smart needs to be more poised. But the Celtics head coach is quick to add that Smart isn't the only one.
Smart received two technical fouls over the weekend and was fined $15,000 for an obscene gesture he made at a referee during a win over the New York Knicks.
Stevens joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak and Bertrand Wednesday and said it's too early to tell if the team will have to change its approach with Smart or let him mature on his own.
"I think time will tell on that. I think obviously we address it. You have to address it in two ways," Stevens said. "Number one is through the lens of what's right as far as representing yourself and the team and everything else. And then also how to best move forward and how important it is, not necessarily for Marcus but for our whole team, to play with better poise. That's probably indicative at some levels of younger teams against the best of the best."
The Celtics coach added that he expects his players to mature as the gain experience.
"As you get older and more experienced you get better at playing to your job on every possession," Stevens said. "That's something we have to continue to focus on. That's something that experience brings, but we don't want to wait on experience. We want to expedite that curve so we give ourselves the best chance we can in competing in games like tonight."
In his conversation with Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand, Stevens also provided an update on the health of Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger.
Though Olynyk is making progress from a shoulder injury, Stevens said he is "unlikely" to play tonight versus Memphis.
Sullinger missed practice Tuesday with a skin infection, but Stevens expects the forward to suit up tonight against the Grizzlies.
"Everything is good now from everything I've been told. From everything I've been told he's going to give it a go tonight," Stevens said about Sullinger.
