Speaking to the media on Wednesday at his end-of-season press conference, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens didn’t delve too deeply into specific details about his vision for the upcoming offseason. However, as Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press writes, Stevens did identify one area that he’d like to upgrade.
“I think that one of the things that we’ve got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim,” Stevens said. “And I think we need to add to our team to do that.”
No team attempted fewer shots from within five feet of the basket this season than the Celtics, per NBA.com — Boston averaged just 21.9 shots per game from that range, comfortably behind the 29th-ranked Suns (23.7) and far back of the No. 1 Pelicans (38.7).
The Celtics leaned heavily on three-point shooting throughout the year, ranking fourth in the NBA in attempts per game during the regular season (42.1). They increased that average to 46.1 during their first-round loss to Philadelphia, putting them first among playoff teams by a significant margin. Asked whether changes will be made to Boston’s offensive approach going forward, Stevens suggested that it “should be dependent on who’s on your team.”
“I just want to win,” Stevens said, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “I don’t think play style comes before roster. You got to figure out who you have and then play to the strengths of your team. But that’s on both ends of the court. And listen, I thought our coaching staff did an amazing job this year. This series, I think we all could have done better, there’s no question about it, and I think we’re all looking forward to improving all of that.”
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Although Stevens didn’t exclude head coach Joe Mazzulla and his staff from that group who “could have done better” during the first round of the playoffs, he indicated that he still has full confidence in Mazzulla and his assistants, as Hightower relays. “I think our coaching staff, like all of us, can continue to improve and get better,” Stevens said. “That said, I think they’re very good, and we need to continue to provide them the resources to grow and to get better and to continue to be the best that we can be.”
- Stevens didn’t really make any major headlines with his remarks on Wednesday, but he dropped “just enough breadcrumbs” to allow for speculation about whether major roster changes could be coming in Boston this offseason, observes Steve Buckley of The Athletic.
- Speaking of major changes, while there have been no real indications to this point that the Celtics will be among the suitors for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers what it might look like if Boston were to put together a trade package for the two-time MVP.
- A pair of Celtics minority owners, Aditya Mittal and Wyc Grousbeck, are preparing a bid for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, according to a report from Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico. Mittal bought into the Celtics when Bill Chisholm took control of the team and is reportedly the second-largest stakeholder in the franchise, while Grousbeck is the former governor and majority owner of the club. They both hold alternate governor titles.