As the Celtics have grown and improved, so has coach Brad Stevens.

And in a particularly interesting way, according to Avery Bradley.

“I know this sounds weird, but I think his anger,” the Celtics guard said yesterday when management and players held exit interviews following Thursday night’s season-ending loss to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.

“I think it helps us because he was so nice his first year, it was like, ‘Come on, coach. Yell at somebody,’ ” Bradley said. “But, yeah, it’s just a good feeling. We respect him so much and we know that he wants the best for us. And he’s always going to make sure he holds us accountable because of that.

“It’s night and day,” Bradley said of the change in Stevens. “I’m just happy that I’m able to play for him. He’s a really great coach. And just like the guys on this team, he’s open, and I feel like he’s just a special coach because he just cares about us. And he cares about us becoming better basketball players and better men. I mean, all the guys that he brought in, all the speakers, I could go down the list. It shows that he really cares about us as men. And I just appreciate him for that. He’s definitely grown over these years.

“And it’s impressive to see someone come from college and not be cocky and feel like he knows everything. From Day 1 he’s been one to learn and open to anything to help him become better and our team get to where we want it to be. So I appreciate him for that. And like I said, I’m lucky to have a chance to play for Brad Stevens.”

Bradley declined to name the speakers Stevens brought in to address the team, but said, “He brought in a lot. We were just talking about it. I don’t want to be specific, it’s kind of personal. But he brought a lot of speakers in that can help us. As NBA players, you can always be dealing with stuff outside of basketball, but because of the platform that we’re put on and the pedestal, in a way you almost forget that we’re human too. So sometimes it’s good to have someone to talk to. And for Brad to give us that opportunity, at least bring somebody that can help us, it meant a lot to me, because it shows us he really cares about us outside of basketball.”

Demand for respect

Isaiah Thomas wanted to know something else about the coach yesterday.

“Why (isn’t) Brad Stevens part of the coach-of-the-year conversation?” he asked. “It’s B.S. I was thinking about it the other day. Like we’re the No. 1 seed in the East and everybody in the world thinks we were half as talented as anybody in the NBA. It’s weird he’s not in the conversation. I don’t know. That’s crazy. He should definitely be in the running, and if you ask anybody in this league, he should definitely probably be the coach of the year.”

Horford health issue

Al Horford let slip that he’s nursing an unspecified injury that he preferred to keep unspecified.

“I have to take some time, think about things I need to work on, but I have to make sure I get healthy, first of all,” he said.

Asked about the malady, he said, “Um, everybody has bumps and bruises, right, as the season goes on? That’s all I’ll say. I’m fine, good, just get healthy.”

How to beat Cavs

Bradley turned a little cryptic when asked about what it will take to beat Cleveland.

“The best answer for that is we’ll find out against Golden State what it takes,” he said with a smile.

Who will be back?

As close as this group of Celtics became over the season, the nature of the roster could change significantly in free agency with Tyler Zeller, Amir Johnson, Jonas Jerebko, Gerald Green and James Young all headed to the marketplace. Kelly Olynyk is a restricted free agent.

“I’d love to be back. Unbelievable city, unbelievable fan base,” said Olynyk. “You know, support, team, coaching staff, management, top to bottom. Unbelievable place to be and I would love to be back. (But) I don’t know. You control what you can control. I don’t know if I will or not, but if I had the opportunity I would love to.”

Said Bradley: “That’s maybe a better question for Danny, but one thing I do know is that he’ll make the best decision for the team and if players don’t end up being back here I wish the best for them. Those are my brothers. We all had a special year and I appreciate everything, all the time I had with (them), but I would love for all those guys to be back, but we’ll see.”