The Celtics season ended in May, but the process of improvement never stops for Brad Stevens.



Since dropping Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Cavaliers, Stevens has helped put together offseason plans for all his players, turned his thoughts toward reincorporating injured stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, and evaluated strategical tweaks for next season.



Amid all his summer work, Stevens sat down Wednesday with The Athletic for a wide-ranging chat on first-round draft pick Robert Williams, a hidden benefit of Hayward’s injury and Irving’s 2019 free agency, among other topics. The following Q&A has been edited lightly for grammatical purposes.



Q: You guys have encouraged young players to study certain players in the past. Marcus Smart worked with Chauncey Billups. Jared Sullinger, if I recall correctly, was pushed to look at parts of Marc Gasol’s game. Who are some players Robert Williams should watch as he prepares for...