Brad Stevens has Celtics ahead of schedule

Jeff Zillgitt | USA TODAY Sports

Brad Stevens can coach. That's obvious. But what makes him a good coach? Xs and Os, sure. Strategy, yep. Use of film and advanced analytics, of course. Communication, without question.

"The biggest thing is, we talk all the time about being great at what you do well," Stevens, the Boston Celtics' second-year coach, told USA TODAY Sports. "A lot of times in any walk of life, we get consumed by our weaknesses. We really try to focus on our strengths, and we'll manage those weakness.

"So a part of that is, a guy who's not a driver, keep the ball moving. For a guy who is a driver, make good plays on the drive. For a guy who's not a skill player to stay spaced or in the paint. We just try to soar with those strengths.

Sounds simple. But it's not always the case. Stevens has a style and approach that appeals to players: make plays for your teammates and be unselfish.

"All these guys are in the NBA for a reason, and they're really, really good at something," he said. "If you can separate yourself at being one of the best at the things you do well, then you always have a spot where people are going to value you. It just makes sense to a be a superstar in your role."

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In Stevens' second season with the Boston Celtics after leaving Butler in a shocking and unforeseen move, he has a rebuilding and overachieving team in the playoffs and while down 2-0 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first-round series, there is no evidence the Celtics are overmatched and overwhelmed.

The job Stevens did this season was recognized when he finished fourth in the NBA coach of the year voting, ahead of San Antonio's Gregg Popovich. "That's bad voting," Stevens cracked.

ESPN analyst P.J. Carlesimo has unique insight into Stevens' NBA career. Carlesimo also made the high-profile jump from college to the NBA and last season, Carlesimo filled in as a commentator on 15 Celtics TV games last season.

"Extremely impressed with his demeanor. He's had two very challenging years," Carlesimo said. "He's been great. He's very even keel. He came in knowing he knew a lot about basketball but knowing also he had a learning curve in terms of learning the league, learning its players, learning the nuances. It's still basketball, but he was very eyes open, drank it all in. He gets better every week. I can't be more impressed with the job that he's done."

It's one thing to get support from the coaching fraternity. Celtics forward Gerald Wallace is a 14-year veteran, nearing the end of his career and a players who understands the game. He's played for multiple teams and coaches.

"The thing about any coach at any level is being able to communicate and get through to your players," Wallace said. "You need players to buy in to the approach you're trying to bring to the game. Brad has done a great job of getting guys to buy in to his system and then go out and put forth the effort. It's worked.

"Players see the energy and effort and attention to detail he puts into the game, and that energy transfers from him to the players and it makes something extremely special."

Right now, Boston plays hard, is well-coached and has some talent, and soon, the Celtics will have more talent in combination with that hard play and great coaching. General manager Danny Ainge has accumulated assets in the name of first-round picks and his goal is make the team better as quickly as possible.

Yes, the Celtics made the playoffs with a 40-42 record, but that was an accomplishment, especially the multiple roster changes. Twenty-two players played for the Celtics this season. Boston traded Jeff Green and Rajon Rondo, acquired Jameer Nelson and Brandan Wright and then traded Nelson and Wright.

At the trade deadline, the Celtics sent Tayshaun Prince to the Pistons and Marcus Thornton to the Suns and acquired Isaiah Thomas, Jonas Jerebko and Gigi Datome.

Stevens said he was apprehensive about the trade deadline deals because the Celtics started to play well, winning four of games just before the All-Star break. But the chance to get Thomas, who finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting, was a deal in which the Celtics couldn't pass. It turned about to be the right move. Boston closed out the season 20-9 and secured the seventh seed.

"It's been really tough but this is the most connected our locker room has been," Stevens said. "This is a great environment. It's a great working environment. Guys are in great spirits, and there's a lot of guys who are really hungry for this opportunity."

On Monday, Stevens just finished a news conference with reporters the day before the Celtics lost Game 2 to the Cavaliers, and he was about to start practice. His son, Brady, shot hoops with Celtics players at the far end of the court.

Is Stevens enjoying this?

"It became a job even in college," Stevens said. "You enjoy the challenge. You enjoy trying to solve puzzles. You enjoy trying to help these guys get to be the best that they can. But at the end of the day, I just go back and watch film because that's my job. I can go back and prepare for the next game. That's my job. You do enjoy it."

"I'm much less emotionally tied in the last five or five six years than maybe I was in the first 10 years of coaching."

Nearing the end of last season on a road trip, Stevens told reporters in Washington that he had a list of issues he planned to address in the offseason. Asked about those issues, Stevens said, "I'd be happy to share it, but we don't have time."

When last season ended, Stevens went to work on that list, focusing on technical aspects of offense and defense and late-game execution.

"That April-May time frame last year was big. I just focused on all the things of why we came up short," Stevens. "That was a real time of reflection from a coaching standpoint, a real time of reflection from who's on the court standpoint and just a real time of a study.

"It was almost as arduous as the regular season. But I felt like I wanted to get it done before we headed into the summer so I felt good about what we needed to do right away."

The proof is in Boston's efficiency statistics year over year. The Celtics averaged more points and allowed fewer points per 100 possessions this season than they did last season. Boston also had a better record in close games this season and were far more efficient.

"We've made a lot of strides and that's even before making the playoffs. We said the progress was obvious and that was a positive," Stevens said.