What Brad Stevens had to say ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft
He also gave a brief update on Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving.
ALLSTON — So on a night like tonight, does your head spin?
“Not mine,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters Thursday, just hours before the Phoenix Suns were slotted to make the first pick in 2018 NBA Draft.
Stevens — who was at the West End House Boys and Girls Club to unveil a newly renovated gymnasium — said he’s tried to “catch up as much as possible” with the prospects on the team’s radar. The Celtics hold the 27th pick in the draft, which as Stevens put it, can be challenging because of the uncertainty leading up to the selection. But confidence is high, regardless of Boston’s position on the draft board.
“Our staff does a great job,” Stevens said. “[President of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge] works really hard, like he is at games all over the country all the time. If he feels like he needs to go back out to west coast to watch a game, he doesn’t blink, he just does it. His work ethic is something that has been a sight to behold.”
“I think everybody on the staff follows suit, so we have our bases covered,” he continued. “That’s why, when we were done with our season — like I missed our first few draft workouts because we were still playing — I don’t worry about it too much. He tells me who to watch and asks my opinion. I trust everything those guys do because of how hard they work.”
Stevens said Boston’s biggest need is actually independent of Thursday’s course of events. While the Celtics are always looking to add “competitiveness, versatility, and shooting,” Stevens noted it’s more important for the team to “come back healthy” and “come back full.” Boston is anticipating healthy recoveries from both point guard Kyrie Irving and forward Gordon Hayward.
According to Stevens, Irving and Hayward are “well on their way to being cleared.” The two starters had missed the entirety of the Celtics’ playoff run due to injuries.
“I think it’s just a matter of time,” Stevens said. “My assumption, from having talked to both of them — and it’s very much an assumption — you’re probably talking mid-August.”
Stevens also addressed the growing speculation surrounding Irving’s future. Several reports have questioned Irving’s intention to stay in Boston beyond the upcoming season, but Stevens indicated all seems to be well.
“He’s been great for us,” he said. “We’re excited about what he brings to the table. To us, he’s been nothing but awesome. At the end of every year, guys have the right to make their own decisions. All we can do is do the very best we can, and I feel really good about our situation.”
In the meantime, the Celtics will be looking to finalize their Summer League roster — which will have its first practice July 1 in Waltham. Starting July 1, Boston will also have to make decisions on a handful of free agents, including guard Marcus Smart.
“We’ll see how all these next few weeks play themselves out,” Stevens said.
