Stevens: Celtics Don't Lose Much Sleep Over Trade Rumors
BOSTON (CBS) -- With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching, it's going to be a very interesting two weeks for the Boston Celtics.
Trade rumors have already started to surface, which can be a bit distracting for the players and coaches alike leading up to the February 18 deadline. Unless they ignore it all, which is what Brad Stevens said is the approach he and his players take around this time of the year.
Stevens joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand on Wednesday, and said many of his players have "grown up with the rumor mill" and understand that more times than not, such rumors are just a lot of talk.
"I don't think guys get too emotionally bent out of shape over rumors and talk. If they have questions they know they can come in and talk with us, and Danny [Ainge] is great about being direct and open with people," Stevens told Zolak & Bertrand. "Nobody on our staff, coaching staff or the players, really ever lose too much sleep over it -- until someone from the front office knocks on your door."
One report says David Lee, who is buried on the Boston bench, will be either traded or released by the deadline. Stevens said Lee has continued to be a professional, and is one of Boston's best players on the practice floor.
"Everybody that is in the NBA wants to play, and probably even more so when you've had the kind of success over a long career that he's had. That's how people should think and what makes these guys so competitive and special," said Stevens. "From his standpoint, with how he's working, his attitude, how he works with teammates, he's been great. People will see he's not playing and assume he's not happy. Maybe there's a difference between not being content and being a bad teammate. He's never been anything but a good teammate. He's working his tail off for when he gets on the court."
Stevens is pleased with his teams play of late, as they've won six of their last seven and continue to have strong efforts on the defensive end.
"You have to build a base of who you want to be, and our best hope for winning night in and night out, and our best hope of being competitive night in and night out, is to be consistent defensively. We have been, and we've had instances where we had to re-center ourselves a little bit, but we have to continue to make that our mindset," said Stevens. "If we're lax on that end or lazy or a step slow on that end, there will be very few nights we'll win. But if we're engaged and locked, as our offense hopefully continues to improve, we'll give ourselves a chance."
Listen to the full interview below, including Hardy's attempt to get Stevens to comment on a Dwight Howard trade rumor:
