From roster to mindset, how Celtics have changed since 2022 Finals

From roster to mindset, how Celtics have changed since 2022 Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

As the Boston Celtics celebrated their sweep of the Indiana Pacers, punching their ticket back to the NBA Finals, the team gathered the 60 some-odd personnel crammed in the visitor’s locker room inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a photo.

There were players, coaches, trainers, doctors, equipment managers, personal assistants, media relations staffers, and front office staff. Even Al Horford’s son, Ean, muscled into the snapshot.

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But it’s somewhat notable who wasn’t in the photo: Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.

Back in his native Indianapolis, Stevens quietly congratulated his players and staff and, with son Brady by his side, slipped into the night along with team ownership.

Stevens has done his best to avoid the spotlight lately, even after winning Executive of the Year for constructing a Boston team that has won 76 of the 96 games played since the start of the regular season.

Stevens didn’t want a press conference after winning the peer-voted honor and has done everything he can to keep the focus on his players as the Celtics have steamrolled through the Eastern Conference playoffs. Boston finished the 2023-24 season with a 53-13 mark against all East opponents.

Two years removed from being denied that elusive Banner 18, the Celtics are back on the title stage and will face the Mavericks in this year’s NBA Finals. But it’s clear just how different this team is from that 2021-22 squad — both with new personnel, but maybe more importantly, with a different outlook.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown remain the pillars, but Stevens shook up the core of this team last offseason, bringing in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in place of Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, and Robert Williams III. Holiday, with his championship experience, has been key in Boston accelerating through the East. Porzingis might be the X-factor if the Celtics are to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy next month.

The maturation of Tatum and Brown, combined with the way the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/roster-mindset-celtics-changed-since-162701138.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-05-31 19:55:56

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