Gorman On Toucher & Rich: Praise Around The League For Celtics' Brad Stevens
BOSTON (CBS) - Fred Toucher and Joe Haggerty, filling in for Rich Wednesday morning, talked about Celtics coach Brad Stevens and his team going forward with CSNNE's Mike Gorman on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
In just his second year as head coach, Stevens has the Celtics on the edge of a playoff berth, trailing the Brooklyn Nets by a half game.
"Everybody in the pros seems to be a fan of Brad Stevens," said Gorman.
Stevens has been heralded for his calm demeanor and systematic coaching style, something not typically found in a league full of superstars and coaches working to appease them.
"When you get guys like [San Antonio Spurs coach] Gregg Popovich say that he's watching Celtics games so he can steal plays from Brad, your praise doesn't get much higher on the NBA level," said Gorman.
With eight games remaining in the regular season, the Celtics could easily end up in the Eastern Conference playoffs and gain experience in a playoff atmosphere, but if they missed the playoffs they would have a better draft pick in this summer's draft.
"I think the players really want to go [to the playoffs], and the one nobody mentions about benefiting from going to the playoffs would be Brad Stevens. He's had every experience you can have in the NBA with the exception of the playoffs," said Gorman.
Gorman noted that a playoff series in which the Celtics play the same team at least four times in a best-of-seven series would showcase Stevens' coaching ability.
Should the C's make the playoffs, they would most likely match up against the No. 1 seeded Atlanta Hawks or No. 2 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Each team is a daunting task for a young Celtics team.
Assuming the Celtics make the playoffs, what are the chances they make some noise in the first round?
"Less than 50 percent obviously to win a round, but I think they have a chance to win a couple of games. I would much rather play Atlanta despite the fact that they have the best record. I would rather play them than Cleveland. You don't want to get involved with LeBron," said Gorman.
The Celtics return to the hardwood Wednesday night to host the Indiana Pacers for a 7:30pm tip-off.
Listen below for the full interview!
Hear every game of the 2014-15 Boston Celtics season on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Celtics. Pregame coverage with Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell begins 30 minutes prior to every game! Occasionally a scheduling conflict will arise, in which case the Celtics can be heard on our sister station 100.7 WZLX.
